Tuesday, October 11

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Acts 4:32-37

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions were his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all, there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales, and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.

Psalm 24:1

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.

I recently read a story about a celebrity movie star who bought his own island. For a mere $15 million, he purchased an island called “Mago” in the Fiji chain of islands in the South Pacific. It turns out, however, that there is a tribe of 500 native Fijians who believe the island actually belongs to them because their ancestors lived there before being forced off the island. The movie star now faces a possible lawsuit challenging his ownership of the island.

Now, I have never had the desire to own my own island, but I do know what it is to think of things as “mine.” I live in “my house,” drive “my car,” watch “my T.V.,” and spend “my money.” My guess is that one of the first words we learn to say as children is “mine!”

Notice what scripture says about the earliest Christians:

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions were his own, but they shared everything they had.
“No one claimed any of his possessions were his own.” Now that’s an amazing statement! It’s hard to imagine a more counter-cultural notion in our modern world. From the time we are old enough to speak we are taught to think in terms of “ownership.”

This toy is yours; that toy is not yours.

This is our yard; that is their yard.

We are taught, and rightly so, to protect what is ours and to respect what belongs to others. But the notion of ownership is often quickly followed by materialism, selfishness, and fear. When we begin to own things, we tend to want more things. When we own things, we begin to fear losing our things. And sometimes the more we own the less we want to share.

But what if we were able to see our “stuff” through the eyes of the ancient writer of Psalm 24:

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it…

What if we understood that everything we have – we have on loan from God himself. What if we thought of ourselves not as owners of our own property – but as stewards of God’s property? Would that change the way we think about our stuff? Would it increase or decrease our generosity? And what would the “ripple effect” be in the world around us?

We see a hint in the Book of Acts:

With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all, there were no needy persons among them.

Imagine! Ask God to help you to see ownership through his eyes; and ask him to make you more and more willing to share that which belongs to him!

Pastor Brian Coffey