Did you ever realize that everything we own is in reality a gift from God that He in His benevolence has chosen to loan to us during our brief stay on planet earth. The Bible tells us that: “For every animal of the forest is Mine, The cattle on a thousand hills.” (Psalm 50:10). In addition to owning the cattle on a thousand hills, God owns the hills on which the cattle sit, the planet on which the hills stand, and the universe in which our planet occupies. Not only that but all of our talents and abilities, our financial resources, and the time we have to live are all gifts from God.
Pastor Rick Warren puts it this way: “Our time on earth and our energy, intelligence, opportunities, relationships, and resources are all gifts from God that he has entrusted to our care and management. We are stewards of whatever God gives us. This concept of stewardship begins with the recognition that God is the owner of everything and everyone on earth. … We never actually own anything during our brief stay on earth. God just loans the earth to us while we’re here. It was God’s property before you arrived, and God will loan it to someone else after you die.”1
Understanding this concept has wide ranging implications on how we live our lives. Let’s look at the following three areas of our lives – our time, our talents, and our treasury – and explore how we should live knowing that all three are gifts from God that are on loan to us.
Our time
Time. This most precious, mysterious and universal of all concepts has fascinated mankind since its beginning. From the moment of conception, our odyssey through time begins. Since God is the giver of life and only He chooses when He will end our stay on earth it makes sense to realize that He has given all of us a certain allotment of time to use wisely. Knowing that we are on a loaned time clock should make us use the time we have to invest in advancing the kingdom of God and to worshipping and praising Jesus for every breath of life He gives us. Knowing, if we are fortunate, and live to a good-old ripe age, it would be a shame to look back in our old age and to have not made productive use of the time God has allotted to us. My friends, we only have a brief amount of time left to live so let’s use this precious gift to glorify our Lord.
Our talents
God, in His sovereignty, has chosen to give each of us certain talents and abilities. It is only fitting that we give Him thanks for the skill set that each of us has. For example, I have no skills when it comes to using my hands to build and fix things. However, I believe God has gifted me with the ability to write and communicate. So rather than complain about what talents I don’t have, I choose to thank Him for the abilities He has given me and use them to advance His kingdom. It is important to remember that (James 1:17) says: “Every good and perfect gift is from above…” When we understand this, it becomes much easier to not get too prideful for our talents, but instead give the Lord the glory for how we can use them to bless others and advance His kingdom.
Our treasury
The next time you look at your bank account or your paycheck let’s thank God for whatever financial blessings we have. For in the last analysis our ability to produce wealth comes from the Lord. (Deuteronomy 8:18) states this clearly: “But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth…” As stewards of the money, we possess we should become joyful givers whenever we have the opportunity to give back a portion to the Lord. And the more the Lord blesses us financially the more we should share with others. For in the final analysis, we are just stewards of the financial resources the Lord has lent us.
I pray that in your quiet time with the Lord today you thank Him for all of the blessings He has showers upon you. When you truly understand that all of your time, talents, and treasury are from the Lord, I believe, you will use them wisely for His kingdom.
1 TOP 25 QUOTES BY RICK WARREN (of 720) | A-Z Quotes (azquotes.com)
“God is the owner of everything and everyone on earth.”
“Understanding this concept has wide ranging implications on how we live our lives.”
What is the genesis of this ownership and what are the implications? The answer starts in the Garden of Eden. God created everything, which gave Him ownership rights to all things. But this was ownership with a three part purpose: multiply, exercise dominion, and subdue the earth. He has never given up on this covenantal plan. In fact, the tasks we labor at are never in vain but are preparatory for our permanent home that has already been established, the new earth. “They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.”
Isaiah 65:17-23 is a description of this new earth where old age, birth, agriculture, and no labor in vain are all elements of our existence. With birth and death being part of this life on the new earth, this can’t be eternity. This is simply God bringing to fruition His original covenantal plan for mankind. His ownership has fabulous “implications” which we will increasingly enjoy, like the progressive growth of leaven and mustard seeds.
“We should become joyful givers whenever we have the opportunity to give back a portion to the Lord.”
On this point and building on the ownership theme, I have always thought of God owning 100% of my treasure but graciously giving back to me 90% for my profit and use. In other words, I don’t give Him 10%, He gives me 90%. I know, semantics and word games but it makes me appreciate the gift to make wealth all the more precious.