December 18, 2004

Caretakers, Not Owners

All things come from You, and of Your own we have given You. —1 Chronicles 29:14

Bible In One Year: Obadiah; Revelation 9

John Hauberg and his wife live in a stunning home in Seattle. It is built mostly of glass inside and out. Hundreds of glass artifacts decorate the light-flooded rooms, and even the sinks, shelves, and mantelpieces are made of glass. You might think that the Haubergs would be in constant fear that something would break. On the contrary, they invite visitors to roam freely throughout their entire home.

John is also a connoisseur of Native American crafts, but he has donated his entire collection to the Seattle Art Museum. His motive is not to hoard but to share. "I'm not an owner," he says. "I am a caretaker."

John Hauberg's comment expresses a basic biblical principle that applies to all our possessions: We aren't owners; we are caretakers. Legally, of course, we own our possessions. But as Christians, we gladly acknowledge with David that "the earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein" (Psalm 24:1).

By right of creation, God holds the deed to all that exists, including what we possess. He allows us to use the resources of His world for a time. But in the end it all reverts to Him.

Are we being wise and generous caretakers of what belongs to God? —Vernon Grounds

Naught that I have my own I call,
I hold it for the Giver;
My heart, my strength, my life, my all
Are His, and His forever. —Small

All we own is on loan from God.