Know Your Stuff

Karen

Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.

—1 Chronicles 29:14

I was beside myself with excitement one spring afternoon. Carrying my brand-new driver’s license in my purse, I snagged the car keys from my dad and took the Cutlass for a spin—all by myself! It didn’t matter that it was an old clunker, complete with rust spots and faded army-green paint. I was thrilled to call it “my car.”

Maybe you experienced pride of ownership with your first bicycle. Or maybe, after years of scraping and saving, it was the joy of owning your very first home. Whether they’re large or small, we like our things. But it begs the question, who really owns our stuff?

The Bible gives us a true perspective of what we call “ours.”

In 1 Chronicles 29, we see King David preparing to build God’s temple. He mentioned that he would spare no resource toward the construction. After gathering the resources for the temple, David praised the Lord, saying, “Praise be to you, LORD, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours” (vv. 10–11).

He continued: “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand” (v. 14).

Wow. Did you catch that?

“Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.”

What an amazing perspective on our possessions. It’s a subtle but crucial shift to realize that everything we work for here on earth really doesn’t belong to us.

The question comes down to this: Who owns your stuff? Will you willingly share so others’ lives may be bettered? The satisfaction from serving God in this way never rusts, tarnishes, or fades (1 Peter 1:4).

Dear God, help me remember that You own all my stuff. Give me the same mind-set as King David, to share with others so Your work can be done and others’ lives can be touched. In Jesus’ name, amen.

It’s sometimes hard to see everything as the Lord’s and not your own. In the space below, list some of the items that you have a hard time not seeing as yours. Ask God to help you hold these with open hands, and confess that they are blessings from Him meant for His glory.