Character Counts

Sometimes, we tend to be possessive. We may think that we worked have hard for something and don’t want to share it, or that it is ours. But we have to remember who gave us the ability to obtain wealth in the first place and who owns everything? God created this earth and He owns everything in it, including you and I. He gives us free will to choose good or evil, right or wrong, but everything still belongs to Him. When we die, we won’t take one thing with us, not even our bodies. He just lets us borrow them while we are here on earth.

• We get our breath from Him to even be alive and make our heart beat.
• He gives us a sane mind, to even be able to think and understand and learn and communicate.
• He gives our bodies the ability to move, and the strength to be able work.
• He has enabled our bodies with the ability to process food for strength and vitality, and to repair itself of minor ailments.
• Our bodies recharge themselves by going to sleep and wake themselves up again, not permanently shut down.
• He keeps the oxygen levels in the earth at the perfect ratios to keep man alive and functioning normally.
• He provides sun and rain to grow our food, and just the perfect shade so the sun doesn’t scorch our planet.
• He blesses the work of our hands to prosper and be successful.
• He gives us friends and family to be able to enjoy fellowship and laughter.

You get the picture. If it wasn’t for God, we wouldn’t even be able to get up in the morning or know who we are. We owe Him everything, because He gives us everything! Without Him, we would have nothing. He is a Good Father, and not wanting to railroad over us. However, He does want us to be respectful to Him and to be appreciative and thankful. Instead of complaining about what we don’t have, let’s be thankful for what we do have…because you never know when things can change!

Just like a football coach may move a player to a different position for the betterment of the whole team. Maybe that player thinks he should play quarterback. Maybe he is a good quarterback, but the coach already has another good quarterback but doesn’t have a good receiver. Even though that player may be the better quarterback, he needs to be a team player and play wherever the coach needs him to play, whenever Coach decides to move him. Likewise, sometimes we get all out of sorts when God wants to move us to another position, or asks us to do something else. It may simply be moving us into another position of ministry at church, or it may be moving us to a different job or city. But whatever the request, we need to be “cooperative” and not get an attitude and start complaining. We may not see the whole picture. We just need to trust our Father and know that He is working for the betterment of the whole team.

God may ask us to give and help someone, whether of our time, talents, or money; thereagain, everything belongs to Him. Like if a boss asks an employee to do something or help someone in another department, even if it is not their job, they need to comply. Why? Because the boss asked them to help. They need to be ready, willing, and able to pitch in wherever needed. We need to approach God with an open hand, not a clinched fist. Just like a boss, or a parent, He can make us or break us. As they say, “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.” Like a teenage child, sometimes we just need an attitude adjustment to help us see the bigger picture, and be thankful for what we do have, instead of being possessive or complaining about what we don’t have.

“In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God.”  (I Thessalonians 5:18)