The Gracious Landlord

God is the founder, architect and builder of heaven and earth, and the sole proprietor.
It was with great foresight and purpose that Father, Son and Spirit chose to create, which miraculously includes mankind. “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground” (Genesis 1:26).

This means that our true identity as image bearers of God is directly connected to us having dominion or stewardship over the earth. Stewardship is a key kingdom principle that applies to every believer, every day.

When I was a new Christian, still immature in my faith, I felt as though our pastor was always asking for my money; key word ‘my’. It wasn’t until years later, while reading the first chapter of Genesis, that my eyes were opened to the truth that I was only a caretaker of all that my heavenly Father entrusted to me, including the money I have.
‘“The silver is mine and the gold is mine”, declares the Lord of Hosts’ (Haggai 2:8).

As I grew up in my faith, my entire mindset changed. God began to share His heart with me through His Word, and I began to make informed decisions about where I spent His money and my time. I found myself asking the Holy Spirit for His guidance, so that what He entrusted to me got invested for His Kingdom purposes, which are eternal.

There is something else that we steward as followers of Christ … His Holy presence.
This means that what I do with my body, what I bow down to, how I manage my appetites, and what I watch and listen to deeply impacts my relationship with the Lord in both positive and negative ways. Psalm 24 goes on to say, “Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false” (Psalm 24:3-4).

It is so profound to think that, within God’s bigger picture, He created and moulded the hill where Jesus would die, the tree used for the cross, the iron that was hammered into nails, and even the stone that covered Jesus in the tomb. Jesus stewarded His life here on earth all for the glory of God. What an incredible example!

Prayer: Father, I praise You today because I know and belong to You. For You have rescued me from the dominion of darkness and brought me into the kingdom of the Son You love (Colossians 1:13). Thank You for Your goodness to me. I want to be a good steward, and a wise investor for Your Kingdom, Amen.