By: Pastor Jarren Rogers

“Be grateful for who you are and whatever you have. Everything you have is a gift from God.” – Rick Warren

I once heard a story from another pastor that has stuck with me. He was sharing with me about a lady in his church who led a children’s Sunday school class. One day, she bought a big pack of crayons to be used by her kids in class. The problem came when the rougher and more rambunctious Wednesday night kids used her room. She would return to her classroom on Sunday to dull and broken crayons.

She approached the pastor and shared her distress. “These Wednesday night kids are breaking the crayons I bought with my very own money!” The pastor responded simply saying, “Are they your crayons or God’s?”

I don’t know how that woman responded but I know that when I heard this story, everything I owned took on a new perspective. If I owned crayons that were being used in the service and ministry of God’s Church, should I be dismayed if they get broken? They are God’s crayons after all.

I began to look at everything I have, not as mine, but as God’s. God blessed me with everything I have. I can’t take ownership. Therefore, if it is God’s, God can do with it as he sees fit.

I think that this prayer from 1 Chronicles 29:14-15 presents the attitude we must all have when it comes to our possessions:

“But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us! We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace.”

That car out in the garage, O God is not mine, Lord, but instead it is yours. And this house I live in, Lord, is not mine but it is yours. Do with it as you see fit.

I don’t know that this means we should loan out our car and home to anyone asks. But I think it is natural, when a need arises, to build barriers around that which we care about. If someone is having car troubles, we think, I can’t let them borrow my car. What if they get in an accident or scratch it. Or if someone needs some extra cash to get them through the week, we may think, I could give them some money, but I was saving that up to do something fun with…

Now, I don’t want to be misunderstood. I don’t necessarily think that we should give of our money and our resources to every single need that arises all of the time. But I do think that whenever we change our perspective and see our possessions and our money, not as ours, but instead as God’s, it is much easier to discern the needs that God is calling us to meet. And we will be a lot happier doing it.

Oh God, help us to realize that nothing we have is ours. It is all yours. Do with it as you see fit.