June 2023
Somewhere in the "land of the free and the home of the brave!"

Curious about the picture? Permit me to tell you a few things about it.

That home at one time in the past was planned and constructed for persons to live in. It can be assumed that a family set up house keeping once it was completed, the furnishings moved in, and it was ready now to be occupied.

For years it was a place where families lived out their lives, going through the many experiences that families do. It may have been sold at certain points in time and new families occupied it. Through those periods of time it was maintained and was an attractive home, perhaps drawing attention from those who passed by!

But something happened as time passed - what was once an attractive home became neglected. There was need of repairs but these were never done! Things got so bad that the last occupants moved out and you see the sad outcome in the photo.

For a time responsibility was accepted and the home was well maintained. There is a lesson here. God owns all things. He allows us to possess some things in our life's journey on earth. We are accountable as to how we use everything that is entrusted to us. I refer to this as the 3 T's! Our time, talent (gifted abilities), and treasure (material possessions). All are to be used for the glory and honor of God. The tragedy is failure to realize this fundamental truth and we can travel a path where time, talent, and treasure are wasted and our lives reflect the condition of the house pictured above.

The Scripture precisely reveals the fact of God's ownership of all things starting with the basic truth that the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof…(Psalm 24:1).

King David acknowledged God's ownership in his prayer as generous offerings were given in preparation for the future building of the temple under Solomon:

Then the people rejoiced, for they had offered willingly, because with a loyal heart they had offered willingly to the LORD; and King David also rejoiced greatly. Therefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation; and David said: "Blessed are You, LORD God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty; for all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. Now therefore, our God, we thank You and praise Your glorious name. But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from You, and of Your own we have given You. For we are aliens and pilgrims before You, as were all our fathers; our days on earth are as a shadow, and without hope. O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have prepared to build You a house for Your holy name is from Your hand, and is all Your own. I know also, my God, that You test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things; and now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here to offer willingly to You…. 1 Chronicles 29:9-17 NKJV

Yes, it's very tempting and certainly very deceiving to lay claim to "owning" anything even if our names do appear on certain documents such as deeds to property, titles to motor vehicles, stocks, bonds, and bank accounts!

The reality is something like this -- God says, "I own it -- will you take care of it for me while you live on earth?" That really puts a whole different perspective on life and our ultimate accountability to God!

But wait -- this thing just doesn't apply to material things such as a home in which a family dwells, or other material objects for which we are accountable to God as to how we have handled them.

There is this life saving message called the Gospel of Jesus Christ that is entrusted to the care of every person who professes to be a Christian. Paul said it this way:

But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. 1 Thessalonians 2:4 NKJV

But if we are sloppy and shabby in the way we handle material things (even a family home perhaps?), what are we going to do with the Gospel of Jesus Christ? It is practically a given that if we don't care much about a home, we're not going to care much about getting intensely involved in sharing the message of Jesus Christ! There's something called consistency in stewardship at issue here and when it's lacking there's another word that enters the picture -- it's called hypocrisy!

However this neglect of stewardship responsibility is also critical in the area of our total being -- body, mind and spirit. The Corinthians were told that they did not really belong to themselves -- that is, they were not free to say, "It's my life and I'll do with it as I please!" Specifically they were informed:

Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 NKJV

Again we are confronted with a basic fact of life which the vast majority, including too many church people and church leaders, choose to ignore -- God owns all things and He expects us to use and take care of them in such a way that He will be highly honored and we will have been found diligent and faithful in our stewardship responsibilities! These things include:

our property and possessions
our finances, including investments, etc.
our time -- each of us is allotted 24 hours every day
our total being -- body, mind, and spirit

And all of the above are to be incorporated into efforts to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the far ends of this sin saturated planet -- that message which alone offers forgiveness, peace, and everlasting life -- that message He entrusts to our care!

So, how's it going in your experience of being a steward for the Lord Jesus Christ? Are you striving each day to take good care of all that He, the Owner, has entrusted to you?

Or is your stewardship witness like the witness of the home in the picture -- a message shouting out to the passing public -- "There are people that were responsible for the care and appearance of this home, but they simply didn't care -- there was a time when they did, but not anymore!"

Isn't it strange how even as few as a couple of people can shipwreck a home when it comes to the responsibilities of stewardship?

May 24, 2002
UPDATED June 16, 2023, January 17, 2024
by Clayton D. Harriger
Elder in Full Connection
W PA Annual Conference
and former pastor of
Gipsy Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) November 1999 > November 2019
Gipsy PA