Respecting God’s Stuff

Bible Reading: Colossians 1:15-20

Eric stomped into his brother’s room. “You are not going to believe this, Tom!” Eric was so angry his ears were red.

Tom closed the book he was reading. “What’s the matter?”

“Just look at my new interactive robot!” The robot’s arm dangled from its side. “That’s the last time I ever let Sam use one of my toys. Do you know how much I paid for this?” Eric shook his head. “That boy has no respect for other people’s stuff!”

The next morning, Tom and Eric were late for school. “Here.” Tom tossed Eric a granola bar. “We don’t have time for breakfast, so eat this on the way.”

As the brothers took a shortcut through a neighbor’s backyard, Eric ate his granola bar in just three bites, then tossed the wrapper on the ground.

“Hey!” Tom stopped and pointed to the wrapper. “That’s littering! Go pick it up.”

“Oh, come on. It’s just one wrapper, Tom.”

“It’s not your yard, Eric. How do you think the neighbors would feel if they saw you dropping trash in their yard?”

Eric sighed and picked up the wrapper. “I guess I wasn’t thinking.”

“Yeah,” said Tom, “kind of like Sam wasn’t thinking when he broke your robot.”

Later that week, Mrs. Rawlings gave a lesson on creation in Sunday school. “God made everything,” she said, “but because our sin has made such a mess of things, Jesus is making everything new—not just the people who trust in Him, but one day, all of creation! So everything belongs to Jesus. He wants us to enjoy everything He’s made but also respect that it belongs to Him and take good care of it.”

I know what it’s like to have someone not respect your stuff, thought Eric. I wouldn’t want to do that with God’s stuff!

The next morning, as Tom and Eric passed by a neighbor’s yard on their way to school, Eric saw a plastic bag blowing across the grass. “I got it!” he called out. He raced over and stepped on it before it blew away, then placed it in the trash can at the end of the driveway.

“Hey!” shouted their neighbor from the porch. “Thanks for cleaning our yard!”

“No problem!” Eric shouted back. “And actually, it belongs to Jesus!” – Kelly Carlson

How About You?

Do you respect what doesn’t belong to you? Jesus created everything in the world around you—trees, grass, land, animals—and will one day make everything new and even better than it is now! Everything belongs to Him, and He wants you to help take care of all He’s made. How can you be respectful and take care of God’s beautiful creation?

Today’s Key Verse:
Acts 17:24 God made the world and everything in it.

Today’s Key Thought:

Care for God’s creation