Several years ago I loaned my heavy duty top-of- the-line foosball table to a friend. I had tired of the game and my friend wanted the table, so I let him keep it with the assurance he’d return it when asked.

A few years later I felt the urge to play so I called my friend and asked about the table. “I loaned it to a buddy,” he said. “No problem,” I said. “Would you let him know you want it back.” “He sold it.” “He sold my table?” “That’s right. He got a good price for it too.” “Did you tell him it wasn’t his to sell?” “Of course I told him. He said if I didn’t like it I could sue him.”

I felt like choking my friend but settled for the neck of the phone. And then I had an insight that pried my fingers from the phone and disturbed me more than the loss of my foosball table. I realized that what my friend and his buddy had done to me, I do to God all the time. I treat what belongs to him as though it’s mine.

But it’s not. The Bible makes it clear that everything belongs to God. David wrote, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it” (Psalm 24:1). In Haggai 2:8 we read, “‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

From childhood until death we grab hold of trinkets and toys and say, “Mine.”

But a transforming truth says it all belongs to God.

Such a truth flies in the face of observation and logic. After all, your name appears on the deed to your home and title to your car. You vividly remember paying for your shirt, slacks and shoes. You might even be able to dig up the receipt to prove the purchase. It could be you have a video recording of all your possessions in case of a fire or theft. Even your business carries your name. It all seems to be yours, doesn’t it?

Indeed, all of your stuff appears to belong to you. It’s certainly in your possession. But in God’s eyes, and in reality, you don’t own a dash, dot, drab, or drop of it. Since that’s the case, you may be wondering why you’ve got so much stuff that from every outward appearance seems to be yours. It’s because God entrusted it all to you. And he wants you to use it in a way that honors him. So take a few moments before you shut down this blog and thank God for his generosity and ask him for the wisdom to use it in a way that pleases him.