Better than I Found it

A kind friend blessed our family this summer by allowing us to use her family’s home at the beach. The condo was beautiful and in immaculate condition. This made me quite nervous, especially since we had three kids with us. I watched everyone like a hawk, making sure food and drinks were only consumed in designated areas, that dirty hands and faces were washed before sitting on the furniture, and that shoes were removed before walking on the plush, light colored carpet. Before we left for home, we made sure the condo was spic and span with nothing out of place. I took way better care of her home than I do of my own. My friend was very gracious to allow us to stay there in the first place, so I figured the least I could do was take excellent care of the lovely home she had entrusted me with. It was my desire to leave it even better than I found it.


I wondered, as I was putting things back in order at the condo, what my life would be like if I truly acknowledged God as the source of every one of my blessings. Would I keep my house nicer if I saw it not as my home, but the home God has allowed me to use? Would I take on a healthier lifestyle if I accepted the truth that my body really belongs to God as a temple for His holy spirit? How would I spend money differently if I viewed every dollar as a gift from God?

King David understood this concept of stewardship. In the Bible after the people of Israel brought forward generous offerings to build the Lord’s temple, David praises God, saying, “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.” (1 Chronicles 29:14) And in Psalm 24:1, David writes, “The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;”

Let’s pray for an attitude like David’s. Let’s ask God for hearts that recognize the truth that all we are and have comes from Him. Finally let’s pray for a deep desire to be better stewards of our gifts, and to leave this world better than we found it.