“Mine, Mine, Mine!” (Bountiful S5E2)

January 21, 2019

Bountiful Season 5, Episode 2 for Monday, January 21, 2019

The material blessings we receive are not really ours; everything (we mean everything) belongs to God. However, like a toddler who is reluctant to share a toy or a snack, as adults we may struggle with the concept that our possessions are not owned by us. If we’ve ben given lot of blessings for a long period of time, we can start to forget the origin of those blessings. We start congratulating ourselves on “earning” the blessings, and, as a result, we become reluctant to share those blessings with others. Spiritually speaking, we become just like a toddler – but doesn’t the Bible encourage us to put away childish things?
In this episode, Gary and Christy mention five things we can do to keep the right perspective day-to-day.

Every time you see your name written on something, imagine God’s name in its place. This would include your bank account statement, your car title, and your social media accounts. How would you act if those things had God’s name instead of yours? If God’s name was on your utility bill, would you be more thankful for things like running water, electricity and indoor plumbing?
Count your blessings – and involve your family! If you’re together at the dinner table or riding in the car, ask everyone to list something they’re thankful for. You could even ask them to stay within a category (e.g. What’s something outside of our house that you’re thankful for?)
Strategically place reminders to yourself. Psalm 1:1-2 tells us we’re blessed if we meditate on the law of the Lord day and night. Consistent reminders can help us be more humble when it comes to the ownership of our possessions. God owns it all and we’re his stewards.
Evaluate your giving. If we don’t give on a consistent basis, we may forget how blessed we are to be able to give. Our purpose in life is not to accumulate wealth, but it’s to use every blessing we have – even our material blessings – to give glory to God.
Study stewardship. The Bible talks more about money than we do. Psalm 24:1, Proverbs 13:11, Proverbs 19:17; Matthew 6:19-21; Mark 4:18-19; Acts 20:35; and Hebrews 13:5-6 are a handful of multiple examples of verses where God instructs us on how to be faithful stewards.