"SHARING THE RISEN CHRIST TO ALL GENERATIONS"
13485 West River Road, Columbia Station, Ohio 44028 440-236-8900 hosannaecc@windstream.net Hosanna Lutheran Early Christian Childhood Center Director: Dana Petry Rev. Gary L. Richard, Pastor Stewardship Minute:
Answering the question of ownership
One of the basic principles of stewardship is that God owns all things. God is the owner, and we are the managers or caretakers of what God gives us. If we were asked who owns all things, we would, without hesitation say, “God owns everything!” However, do our actions and lifestyles reflect God’s ownership? Do we act like owners or managers? Do we seek to do God’s will with our time and money?
God’s Word gives us a wonderful story on how a person’s attitude toward ownership completely changed after he came to faith. In Luke, chapter 19, we read about Zacchaeus, a tax collector, who loved his money. He was wealthy, and he cheated people to gain even more money. His money was his god. Jesus entered his house and changed his heart. After coming to know Jesus, Zacchaeus no longer saw his money as his own. His life and money no longer belonged to himself because he knew that God was the creator and the owner of all things. Through faith, he gave half of his possessions to the poor and recompensed four times the amount those he had cheated. Jesus told Zacchaeus, “Today salvation has come to this house…” In the same way through faith, our perception of ownership changes. Just as Zacchaeus came to understand that God owned his property, we acknowledge that God is the source of all things. We may have possession of many things, but God is the owner. As God’s stewards, we are responsible and accountable to God. The same faith that prompted Zacchaeus to give so generously is given to us. As we acknowledge God’s love for us and His ownership of all things, our thinking will change from how much we are going to give to how much of God’s property we’re going to keep. May God grant us hearts of wisdom to enable us to understand that He is the source and owner of all. |
Today's Daily Bible Verse |
