My earliest remembrances of Bible class go back to a small one room church building where we pulled curtains across the back of the auditorium for classrooms. There in humble surroundings I was taught by people who loved the Lord and who loved me. Those early lessons were most impressive. Lessons about Abraham and Noah, Daniel and David, were taught in earnestness and made an impact for good upon my young mind.
One of the more memorable lessons that I learned revolved around a song that is seldom heard today. The song is entitled, "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands." The message of the song is that God controls it all because He owns it all. That's an important lesson for all of us to learn.
The Lord said, "For every beast of the forest is Mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird of the mountains, and everything that moves in the field is Mine. If I were hungry, I would tell you; For the world is Mine, and all it contains" (Psalm 50:10-12). David said, "The earth is the Lord's, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it" (Psalm 24:1). Indeed, God does have the whole world in His hands.
Is it not true that the one who owns something has the right to control it? Is it not also true that we have no rights that the owner might delegate to us? This is why the Bible calls us stewards. A steward is a manager, someone who has been put in charge of that which belongs to another and who is held accountable for its proper use. Since God owns it all, everything we are and have belongs to Him. He has the right to control that which is His and delegate such responsibility as he chooses. Again, He has the whole world, including you and me, in His hands.
Our Bodies Belong To The Lord. Although this is true in general, there is a special sense in which the body of the Christian belongs to the Lord. It is "a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a priceÉ" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). God lays claim to what belongs to Him and commands that we present our "bodies a living and holy sacrificeÉ" (Romans 12:1). We are not free to use our body as we see fit but must subject ourselves to the will of Him who owns it as one who will be held accountable for its use.
Our Time Is The Lord's. God is not governed by the limitations of time like you and me. Time means nothing to Him (2 Peter 3:8) except as an extension of His patience. But it means a lot to us. Our time is limited (Job 14:1; Psalm 90:10; James 4:14). Since God has given us time, He lays claim to it and commands us to make the most of it (Ephesians 5:16). Jesus, while in the flesh, felt bound by the limitations which time placed upon Him said, "We must work the works of Him who sent Me, as long as it is day; night is coming, when no man can work" (John 9:4). I am afraid that many of us are bad stewards of the time which God has entrusted to us. The vast majority of our time is spent in the pursuit of material security and temporal happiness while the work of the kingdom is neglected. My brethren, it should not be so!
Our Abilities Belong To The Lord. God has given to us abilities which we possess (Romans 12:6-8). The purpose of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) is to make us aware of the fact that he claims our abilities for use in His kingdom and holds us accountable for it. Pity the man who neglects to use his ability in God's service.
Out Material Possessions and Money Belong To The Lord. God "richly supplies us with all things to enjoy" (1 Timothy 6:17). He claims authority over the things that we have by instructing us in the use of them (1 Timothy 5:8; Ephesians 4:28; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2; 1 Timothy 6:17-19). Out money and the things it can buy are meaningless except for how they can be used to advance the cause of Jesus Christ.
Many of you, like myself, have been taught these principles from childhood. But knowing that God owns it all and living with these principles embedded in our hearts are two different things. It is vital that we understand that God has the world in His hands. Only then can we begin thinking in terms of "stewardship" rather than "ownership". Only then will we begin thinking in terms of "using" instead of "possessing". Only then will we begin to think about and prepare for that day in which we shall stand before the Lord and give an account of our stewardship.
~In Gospel Power, Anderson, Alabama, 11/23/97.