Grasping Ownership

Okay, so today I would like to begin to get down to the real crux of the matter. There are some issues of ownership in anxiety. I am anxious about things I own. And I am anxious when I am resistant to His ownership of ME.

Owned by Ownership

So first things first, I am a child of God.  As a child, I am powerless and dependent. Look at any small child.  Can they put a roof over their head? Can they clothe, feed or supply for themselves? Can they orchestrate life to accomplish anything? No, they are utterly reliant and led by parents into life. If the power goes out in the night, does the small child call the power company and pay the bill with a credit card . . . of course not. When there is no food in the house, do they go to the store, purchase the groceries, bring them home and cook them? Absurd right? Well, so is my ownership and control of anything.

Stress is the indicator that we own something we can’t control.

Inevitably, we will fret over what we own because it owns us. And in the end, we will destroy what we own and be destroyed by it. If we take anything to ourselves – material possessions, people, property – we will destroy it. Why? Because a child has to remain unendingly open handed. Remember, a child can’t provide anything for itself, nor can they take care of anything. When we grip and grasp at what we’ve been given stewardship over, our little hands are closed. Closed to God!

Our grasping ownership prevents His fatherly protection and care of our things and us. Martha said just the other day, “Only when He owns it, is it safe.” I’m not saying our property should be neglected because it is His responsibility to take care of it. No, what I am talking about is a heart position regarding our possessions.

No Ownership of Even What I am Responsible For

Let me tell you about my experience shepherding my friends’ sheep. I feel like this is a microcosm for the macrocosm: a living object lesson.

I was given the responsibility to be a shepherd of sheep that were not mine.  I was given everything I needed to provide for these sheep, to keep them healthy and happy.  But at the end of the day, they were not mine.  I took responsibility for them, I loved them, and I laid myself out for them in time, energy and true heart caring.  But they were not mine; I was only a steward of another man’s property. And the day that the “owner” wanted to sell them, they were sold. I kept my hands open to his wishes. At any point the owner had the right to come down and do anything he wished. Though I was a hired man, I wasn’t a hireling.  I was a shepherd and I cared for the sheep but I didn’t own them.

Does this microcosm apply to my body? My work? My revelation of God? My family? My possessions? My life? My . . . ? YES! This is an across the board life principle. I do not own anything, God owns EVERYTHING! I am a simple steward of me and mine; He is the Owner.