Custody Vs Ownership

Do we own what we have here? Do we bring it with us when we are relieved of our earthly forms? Or are we just mere custodians – “owners” for a moment?

“God has given gifts to each of you from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Manage them well so that God’s generosity can flow through you…. Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then God will be given glory.” (1 Peter 4:10-11 NLT)

We have a responsibility. We are not at all new to responsibilities. The house utility bills, the kids’ school tuitions,  the credit card statements, etc.

However we are also responsible to God for what He has given us. We are to utilize our God-given talents, time and finances to become a blessing to others. We do not own these. We are merely to look after them, to manage them. Much as we do not own our children, same goes for all our things. And when necessary and sometimes required, we are to give of ourselves.

And it’s a give and take relationship. Giving to God and giving to others yields a profit not a loss. I used to think that by my giving, something of mine is lost somehow. The crumpled 100.00 bill remaining in the pocket or perhaps the 15 minutes of time to spend with someone and tell them about Jesus. Blinded as I was to realize that God provided all those things for me for a purpose, not to be self-serving but to be serving others.

The Bible says that by giving generously we are allowing ourselves to be blessed immensely by God who will cause what we have given to come back to us “pressed-down, shaken together and running over”.

It is understandable that on a human level when we have a need (and who does not have a need?) we become more reluctant to give. But the fact also remains that when we sometimes have much, then it becomes doubly harder to give. The 10% of P1,000.00 (100.00) is much easier to let go of as opposed to 10% of P1M isn’t it? But God says that whatever the case and whatever the need that we may have to trust His word. And His word says that He will provide.

God doesn’t need your money. God wants your obedience. And once that obedience has been tested, the blessings will flow. When Abraham was brought up to the mountain with Isaac in tow to test Abraham’s resolve in obeying an unseen God, God had already provided for Abraham a ram as a replacement sacrifice.

Ponder upon that for a moment with me.

God will provide for all your needs, so do not worry. “Peace be with you” says He.  Now give your very best to God, and be prepared to receive from Him his blessings – the very best of God.

And once giving is practiced and natural, we will then all realize that we no longer look to the things of this world and crave of it so much, for we will then have realized that all of these comes from God, all of these belongs to God and are only being made available to us as custodians.

 

Read the complete daily devotional here: Unselfish Giving Is the Antidote to Materialism.