Mine

“The man can neither make, nor retain, one moment of time; it all comes to him by pure gift…” The Screwtape Letters by C.S Lewis

It is easy to become possessive of things that we think of as our own. “It’s mine” or “That’s mine” are all too familiar phrases. But is it really ours? Of course we say that we “own” things, but shouldn’t we remember who has given us life and all that we have in that life? God, our loving Father, has given us it all.

Nothing is truly ours and we should, therefore, stay remotely detached, especially from material things. I am not saying that people shouldn’t own things or to not think of things as your own. Ownership can yield responsibility and loving care. Naturally, we should take care of things that belong to us, but we must remember they were entrusted to us by God.

There is however, a point where attachment becomes dangerous for our souls. We need to be prepared for things to be taken from us at any given time. We need to learn to trust in the Lord, to learn that when those things are taken away- our belongings, our homes, time, loved ones- it is for His greater purpose.

Get rid of addictions of all sorts for they become like false gods, ones that we are dependent upon in a way that should only be so with God. Be wary of gathering too many earthly possessions. They will only bring you temporary happiness. They can be lost, stolen, broken, burned, destroyed, and at the end of the day, where will they be? They will be left on earth.

Be wary of possessive relationships that pull you away from God. Your husband is not yours, you are not your mother’s and even your child is not your own. We all belong to Christ, not one another. But, through the Body of Christ we all become one. In belonging fully to Him, we are united as part of one another. We must learn to let go, to give all things to God, so that we can become united as one church, as one Body of Christ.

It takes a great amount of trust to let go, yet it is necessary for the betterment of our souls. Material things will not follow us after death. We are not guaranteed that our family, friends and other loved ones will be with us after death either. This is why we must only focus on one possessive- being His.

In Isaiah 43:1 the Lord says “you are mine.” God is the only person we truly want to belong to. In turn we should want everyone else to belong to Him too, to lead as many others to God as you can. Lead by example. If you truly love someone, you will guide them back as children of God to be His once again.

Be prepared for your final hour. Free yourself from possessive bondage. Make it so that when your hour comes the Lord can say, “You are mine,” and your wholehearted response can be, “And I am yours.” Give all things up for the greater glory of God. Consider more carefully the depth of saying “mine.”