Who's In Charge

Read

1 Corinthians 4:2 "Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful."

Think

"God-heartedness comes down to understanding the difference between management and ownership." - Pastor Ed Young

Take a moment to think about the things you call “yours”—your home, your paycheck, your talents, even your dreams. It’s so easy to clutch them tightly, isn’t it? But John Wesley once said, “When the Possessor of heaven and earth brought you into being, he placed you here not as a proprietor, but as a steward.” Every good thing in our lives is a gift, and our role is not to own, but to manage.

Psalm 24:1 gently reminds us: “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” God is the Owner, the true Possessor of all. Yet how often do we live as if we hold the title deed to our lives? Ownership says, “This is mine—I earned it, I deserve it.” Management, on the other hand, humbly says, “This belongs to you, God. Show me how to steward it for your glory.”

When we live as owners, we carry a weight we were never meant to bear. The pressure to control, protect, and achieve can crush us. But when we embrace the truth of stewardship, the burden lifts. We’re free to trust the One who never fails, the Owner who holds all things together.

What are you clinging to so tightly that it feels like it’s slipping through your fingers? Is it your finances? Your plans for the future? Your relationships? Take a quiet moment today to surrender it to God. Pray, “Lord, this belongs to you. Show me how to manage it with an open hand and a willing heart.”

Living as a steward changes everything. It’s where peace replaces pressure, and purpose transforms possessions. When we live for the Owner, we find the freedom and joy we’ve been longing for all along.

Apply

Take five minutes today to identify one specific thing you’ve been holding tightly—your paycheck, your free time, or a prized possession. How can you honor God with it? Are you tithing? Are you serving? Are you using it to glorify Jesus?

Pray

Heavenly Father, everything I have comes from you. Help me to live as a faithful steward, not an owner. Show me how to honor you with what you’ve entrusted to me and give me the courage to let go and trust you fully. In Jesus’ name. Amen.