LOANERS
I'm one of those guys who doesn't mind loaning anything he owns to anybody who needs it. When our kids were young they would always fight over toys, so we declared one simple rule to deal with most of those issues.
THE RULE: If you can't share it, you can't have it. Simple. Powerful. You'll never understand the power of something so simple until you take a toy that one of your children got for their birthday or for Christmas or bought with their own money, but vehemently refused to share with a sibling, even in the least, and hand it over to the sibling that wants to play with it just a little. Follow it up with, "You know the rule, If you can't share it, you can't have it. I guess it's theirs now." That's a face that will leave a lasting impression. Utter shock and disbelief. But, it puts things in perspective. We hold things a lot less tightly in the future.
The bottom line is, a lot of the things we think we OWN are simply on LOAN. That is true in the case of our BODIES. We treat them like we own them, when in reality they are simply on loan to us from God. He made them, He owns them, we are simply stewards of them, which means we will have to give an account to the owner one day. Actually, we have to give an account daily for how we use them or abuse them.
Now, I started this whole thing out with my confession that I'll loan you anything I've got. All you have to do is ask. I'm not going to worry about it. I assume, or at least hope, that you'll bring it back in working order.
But, when I borrow something of yours...well, that's a different subject all together. I don't mind borrowing your stuff if I need it, but, I want to return it to you in, at least as good of shape as you loaned it to me...if not better. If I borrow your car, I might fill it up with gas. If I borrow your chainsaw, I may have the chain sharpened. It's about my integrity...my testimony. I don't want to be "that guy". You know the one I'm talking about, who borrows your stuff, tears it up, dirties it up and brings it back semi-unusable. Nobody likes "that guy". So, I don't want to be "that guy".
So, why would I want to be "that guy" with God. He loaned me a body. The last thing I want to do is to return it to Him in less than the best condition possible. In fact, I'd like to give it back better than I received it.
THE MORAL: When it comes to God and your body, don't be "that guy"!
THE RULE: If you can't share it, you can't have it. Simple. Powerful. You'll never understand the power of something so simple until you take a toy that one of your children got for their birthday or for Christmas or bought with their own money, but vehemently refused to share with a sibling, even in the least, and hand it over to the sibling that wants to play with it just a little. Follow it up with, "You know the rule, If you can't share it, you can't have it. I guess it's theirs now." That's a face that will leave a lasting impression. Utter shock and disbelief. But, it puts things in perspective. We hold things a lot less tightly in the future.
The bottom line is, a lot of the things we think we OWN are simply on LOAN. That is true in the case of our BODIES. We treat them like we own them, when in reality they are simply on loan to us from God. He made them, He owns them, we are simply stewards of them, which means we will have to give an account to the owner one day. Actually, we have to give an account daily for how we use them or abuse them.
Now, I started this whole thing out with my confession that I'll loan you anything I've got. All you have to do is ask. I'm not going to worry about it. I assume, or at least hope, that you'll bring it back in working order.
But, when I borrow something of yours...well, that's a different subject all together. I don't mind borrowing your stuff if I need it, but, I want to return it to you in, at least as good of shape as you loaned it to me...if not better. If I borrow your car, I might fill it up with gas. If I borrow your chainsaw, I may have the chain sharpened. It's about my integrity...my testimony. I don't want to be "that guy". You know the one I'm talking about, who borrows your stuff, tears it up, dirties it up and brings it back semi-unusable. Nobody likes "that guy". So, I don't want to be "that guy".
So, why would I want to be "that guy" with God. He loaned me a body. The last thing I want to do is to return it to Him in less than the best condition possible. In fact, I'd like to give it back better than I received it.
THE MORAL: When it comes to God and your body, don't be "that guy"!
Comments
Post a Comment