“What do you believe about your possessions?”
Randy and Rozanne Frazee of Oak Hills Church have written a book called . In it, they draw a close connection between what we believe and the people we become. Our beliefs affect every aspect of life – including what we currently possess.
When we start to sow or steward the time, treasure, and talents we’ve been given, the whole kingdom story moves forward.
Giving and being generous with our resources doesn’t save us – but it does act as an effect of our salvation.
“God’s dreams for you are bigger than your dreams for yourself.”
When we realize how big God is, and how powerful He is, we’re less connected to our possessions because we know that ultimately they’re owned by this big, powerful God.
“I turn over ownership to God because it all belonged to Him to begin with, and I now become a manager of that. That’s going to begin to shape the kind of person that I become.”
If you have someone over to your house and there’s an accident, or something gets marred or broken, you’re able to live with more peace and gentleness because you realize that your possessions belong to Christ. If something is damaged, it was God’s in the first place! We’re able to release each other more quickly from blame or anger and move on to grace.
This is biblical, as Randy says.
“The Bible teaches very clearly that when we get this idea of stewardship, that everything we are or own belongs to Him, and we are faithful to that, He opens up the gates of heaven for us.”
God’s blessings in our lives are not merely financial but spiritual. Our steps of generosity result in more fruit and faith in our lives, but we first have to take them.
What if we’re afraid to be generous?
If you struggle to give, it’s directly tied to your beliefs about what you have. Either there’s a false belief about yourself, or a false belief about God. Randy says this is the same as going back to God and saying, “I don’t believe everything I am and own belongs to You.”
He doesn’t say this to condemn, but to instruct. In Randy’s words, giving is meant to be “easy, and grace-filled, and cheerful.” If a person struggles to give, they can trace it back to their belief system and see what false belief is holding them back.
Key Scriptures: Mark 9:22-24
Featured Songs: Be One by Natalie Grant; Everything is Mine in You by Christy Nockels; On Our Side by Lincoln Brewster
