Mine!

Bible Reading: John 1:1-4; Acts 17:28; Hebrews 1:10

Maddie loved volunteering at the church nursery. She grinned as the toddlers served play food to her and the preschool teacher, Mrs. Anderson. “Mine!” yelled Max, grabbing a plastic cupcake from Stella.

Stella wasn’t giving up so easily. She grabbed the cupcake back, also yelling, “Mine!”

Maddie handed Max another cupcake. “Now you both have one.”

After church, Maddie told her parents about Stella and Max. “They must have said the word mine fifty times. They both wanted to keep all the toys for themselves!”

“That sounds like most of the world,” said Dad.

“What do you mean?” asked Maddie.

Her dad explained. “God created the world and everything in it. It all belongs to Him, yet we try to hold tightly to our things, our money, even our talents, as if those things were really ours to keep. Just like those two-year-olds.”

Maddie thought for a moment. “At school we talked about settlers taking land from Native Americans.”

“That’s one example,” agreed her dad. “All through history people have acted with a ‘mine’ attitude.”

“Mrs. Sellers asked me to sing in the junior choir, but I wouldn’t since none of my friends would be there, even though I like to sing and they needed more people,” admitted Maddie. “I guess that was selfish.”

“And I still have my old bike, even though I won that new one in the drawing at school,” said Maddie’s brother, Alden. “My teacher told me where I could donate my old one so a kid without a bike could have one, but I decided I wanted both bikes in case one broke. I was only thinking about myself.”

“Those are both good examples of holding on to our blessings instead of sharing them with others,” Mom said. “But, if we listen to the Holy Spirit, we can learn to be less selfish and more like Jesus, who was willing to give up everything when He became human and died for our sins. Everything we have was given to us by Him.”

“So,” Maddie said, “when I put some of my allowance in the collection plate at church, I’m really giving God His own money back?”

Dad nodded. “That’s right, because everything belongs to Him!”

-Bonnie Carr

How About You?

Do you sometimes really want something, even when you have what you need? Do you have a hard time giving up what you feel is yours to keep? These are natural feelings, and God wants us to have the things we need and some of the things we want. But remember everything you have comes from Jesus, who gave His life for you. Trust Him to help you share the blessings He gives you with others.

Today’s Key Verse: Colossians 1:16 Christ made everything in the heavens and on the earth…Everything was made by Him and for Him. (NLV)

Today’s Key Thought:

All things belong to God