"Distributive" Property.

Today we continue our reflections on the parable of the talents.

The LORD owns the earth and all it contains, the world and all who live in it. (Psalm 24:1)

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? (First Corinthians 6:19)

Pastor Sam said, and I paraphrase here, that we must have a clear sense of what we own and what we are in charge of. And, the scriptural reality is that we don't own anything. God owns everything.

God has, however, given us the privilege of being stewards of the things He owns.

Matthew 25:14-30 presents a wonderful parable that warns of the consequences of being a poor manager of what God has placed in our custody. Implicit in God's entrusting of these things to us is that God knows we're able to care for what He's loaned us. In other words, He has equipped us to handle the job.

So why do we sometimes fail so miserably in caring for His property, whether it's our bodies, our jobs, or our relationships? Perhaps it is because we don't really understand what it means to be a steward of God's stuff.

Tomorrow we'll look at three components of stewardship: responsibility, ability, and accountability.