The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it – Psalm 24:1 (NIV).
The birth of a baby is one of nature’s most celebrated events. Newborns enter a world they didn’t create, wearing clothes they didn’t buy and eating meals they didn’t prepare. Yet, their superhuman grip amazes us as they tightly clutch objects they had no hand in making.
Likewise, man was created into an already-formed world. Adam awoke to a beautifully crafted earth and creatures he had no part in creating. It follows that the Creator alone owns everything in heaven and earth. This honour belongs solely to Him (Deuteronomy 10:14, Psalm 89:11, Job 41:11b).
God created Adam to give him dominion over the earth and entrust him with the important responsibility of managing the world (Genesis 1:26). With this, mankind became God’s steward. As a servant is only concerned about the affairs of his master, all our decisions and actions must be aligned with God’s will and for His glory alone.
We came into this world with nothing and will leave the same way (1 Tim 6:7). Rather than clinging tightly to what we have like newborns, we should humbly acknowledge God’s sovereignty and grace. We must recognise that all our gifts, talents and wealth come from Him; and our role as stewards should lead to humility.
Secondly, we should honour God with our resources. God blessed David with wealth, and rather than revelling in it, David sought to glorify God by desiring to build a temple for Him (2 Samuel 7:1). The things we own are not solely for our enjoyment. Our wealth is from God and should be used to fund the spread of the Gospel and enforce the kingdom of God in our day.
Furthermore, we should always reassess our hearts. Jesus was clear that our resources, especially money, can be a competitor for God’s place in our lives (Matthew 6:24). We must avoid making the mistakes of Nebuchadnezzar and the rich fool who looked at their wealth and thought that their hard work alone got them so far (Daniel 4:30; Luke 12:16-21). God gives us the ability, intellect, and skills and, hence, the means to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:17-18). Everything we value and possess is a gift from God.
Dear believer, God owns everything in this world, including inanimate and animate things, our resources, wealth, and especially, our very lives. God has freely given us all these, and we should react as faithful stewards, using them for His glory and cheerfully giving back to God.
Let your daily disposition be one of surrender, not just of yourselves in service to God but also of your resources, for God owns it all.
Bible Reading Plan: I John 5