It Was Never Yours
Among the many first words children learn as they grow is the word "mine." I can still vividly see my kids as toddlers clutching a toy or blanket and proclaiming to anyone who dared try taking it from them that . . . "this is mine!"
This desire to cling to what is ours seems hard-wired into our DNA, and I don't believe we ever grow out of this idea of ownership. For some, the more we own, the better we feel about ourselves and believe that it shows how important we are.
But what if we never really own anything? What if all that we have accumulated isn't ours to begin with?
A few years ago, these were questions that I wrestled with, and I was not too sure of the answers. However, after many conversations, reflection, and prayer, I believe that we live our best lives when we realize that nothing we "own" is really mine. I am simply a steward of all that has been put in my possession.
When I discussed this belief with a friend he told me the story of his dad Ray. Ray was one of the most joy-filled individuals I ever knew and I believe he understood the concept of being a steward better than most.
One day, Ray was filling up his SUV when he overheard a man speaking on the phone to his wife. He was telling his wife he would be home as soon as he could, but he did not know how that was going to happen; once he had a plan, he would call back with the details.
After he hung up, Ray approached and told the man he could not help but overhear the phone call. The man was in the military and had just come off a deployment and needed to get from Maryland to Ohio to be with his family.
Knowing this, Ray held out his car keys and told the man, "Take my car." As any of us would be, the man was shocked. How could he take his car? What would Ray do? How would he get home? What if the man stole it? How would the truck get back to Ray?
All great questions that Ray answered. However, the thing that Ray said that stood out to me was, "It's not my SUV, it's God's, so how can I not let you use it? And, if you do steal it, you won't have to answer to me, you will have to take that up with the owner."
A great perspective and a freeing one at that. All that I have, is God's and according to James, all that is good and perfect comes from Him.
But there is more!
Matthew 25: 14-28 details a parable Jesus shared with His disciples about a wealthy man who was preparing for a trip and entrusted three servants or stewards with his wealth. Each of the stewards was given a portion of the wealth based on their abilities.
Upon his return, the man found that two of the stewards multiplied what was left in their care. However, the last steward reported that he hid the portion he had been given because he was afraid of his master and his accomplishments and did not want to risk losing his master's money. When the master heard this, he told the steward he was wicked and lazy and had him removed.
To be honest, I have struggled with this parable . . . until recently.
My struggle was with the harsh penalty toward the one steward who did not multiply what he had been given. However, what I have realized is that the steward had no right to hide the master's wealth because it was not his to begin with. He should have followed the master's example and made the most of it with the resources and abilities he had.
We are no different than those stewards. The only question is, will we steward what has been put in our care wisely, or will we bury it and be deemed wicked and lazy by The Master?
This edition was first published in The Life Design Newsletter on LinkedIn.