Does God Really Own it All?

I’ve heard people say they were put in a specific job or ministry because God needed to work on them the most. That is what has happened to me.

I’ve heard the clichés about generosity and stewardship over and over, but sometimes it takes a while to sink in. I was recently invited to a Journey of Generosity (J.O.G.), a weekend retreat designed by the people at Generous Giving, and found one of those clichés actually taking root in my life.

Which cliché you ask? The one about God owning everything, and giving us stewardship over those resources. We all claim it to be true, but do we practice it in real life? I certainly haven’t, but doing things my way is getting tiring.

Before the meeting started at 2pm, I had already checked multiple bank accounts that morning, gotten an e mail from my office about a payment coming in, considered the costs of building our new house, and checked investments online. The stress can be overwhelming when considering that my wife and I are responsible for making the money, spending the money to take care of our needs, saving for the future, and oh yeah the giving part too.

However I was convicted at the meeting to stop looking at it as my responsibility to earn and spend money. I’m involved in the process, but it’s God who controls the process. If He chooses to give more or less, it’s up to Him. My responsibility is to work diligently, and thank Him for what happens through that work.

After we’ve received those gifts, it’s our job to use them in a way that would glorify God. But here’s the cool part, we don’t have to decide on our own. God is faithful to lead us in how to give, spend, and save if we ask. I’ve begun saying out loud each time I check the finances, “God this is your stuff, show me where you want it to go.” All that stress goes away when I focus on His needs, and not my wants.

It’s really easy to say that God owns it all, but putting it into practice can change everything. Yes it’s a scary proposition that we don’t have full control, but I for one know that God has much bigger and better plans than I do.