By Mark Wilmoth

You own nothing.

You think you own the money in your bank account. After all, you’ve earned it. It puts food on your table and a roof over your head and clothes on your back. You’re using your money to make a better life for your family, right? But God replies, “You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today” (Deuteronomy 8:17-18, NIV).

It’s not your time. Whether it’s long hours on the job or peaceful hours whiled away at the beach, that time is granted to you by God and your time is running out. You have no control. That’s Jesus’ point when he asks in Luke 12:25, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”

Nope, not your clothes and not your body. Wear what you want, cover up and look good, but Job called it right when he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart.” (Job 1.21). You won’t be taking those clothes with you when you leave this earth, and you will leave: “Dust you are and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3:19. Even your body is on loan from God.

Perhaps you’ve heard the old joke about some scientists who decided that they didn’t need God. “God,” they said, “We have cracked the code of the human genome and we don’t need you any longer. We can do anything you can do. We can even make a man out of the dirt of the ground, because we understand the minerals and proteins that are required for life.” God responded by saying, “Alright, let’s have a man-making contest. But you can’t use my dirt. Get your own!”

You own nothing. Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” Whatever you have, God has given it to you to manage while you are here on earth, but it doesn’t belong to you. It’s all His. You manage what belongs to God; you are a steward.

In his book, Master Your Money, Ron Blue discusses 3 truths that God’s stewards, or managers, must accept. First, Blue writes, “An owner has rights; a manager has responsibilities.” If I take a sledgehammer and ding my car, that’s my business, unless I try to get the insurance company to pay for the damage. But if I lend you my car and you use a sledgehammer to ruin it, we’re going to have a problem. An owner has rights; a manager has responsibilities.

Second, because God owns “your” money and house and car, every decision becomes a spiritual decision. Save, spend, invest, or give, but the final question is always: “Did I use my resources in a way that honors God?”

Inventor Robert G. LeTourneau’s company produced 75% of the equipment used by Allied earthmovers and engineers during World War II. LeTourneau made millions and gave generously to Christian causes. But at one point, LeTourneau decided to invest $5000 that he had pledged to his church in his own company instead, thinking that the investment would pay dividends. He would then give even more generously to the church later. Instead, the company experienced problems and LeTourneau lost that $5000. LeTourneau determined never to make that mistake again, vowing that God would always come first. That worked. When he died, LeTourneau was giving 90% to religious causes, and living on only 10% of his income.

Blue’s third truth is perhaps the scariest: You can’t fake stewardship. So, look at your calendar and go over your checkbook and take a second look at the clothes in your closet, the car you drive and the house you live in. Is God honored by how you’re using what He entrusted to you? Be honest with yourself, because one day you will leave this earth and its wealth behind. You will answer to God for whether you’ve used your time and wealth in a way that makes the world a better place and honors God’s values. If you’ve done right, then when you face judgment you will hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” That sentence unlocks the treasures of eternity.

Mark Wilmoth is with Pinehurst Christian Church in Marietta. For more information regarding Pinehurst Christian Church, visit www.PinehurstChristianChurch.org.