It’s All His

You belong to God. I belong to God. We belong to God. The Bible says, "You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body" (1 Corinthians 6:19–20). Your career belongs to God. Your family belongs to God. Your home belongs to God. So does your car, your health, the beat of your heart, and the breath you draw in your lungs. It is all a gift from God to you.

Often we will forget and neglect God, but is it too much to dedicate some time every day to pray and read the Word of God? God gave you everything that you have. You can give thanks. Is it that big of a deal to say, before you start eating, "Lord, thank You for this food"? It doesn’t have to be a long prayer. You don’t have to pray for every missionary around the world. But it is important to give thanks to the Lord for all that you have, acknowledging that you have received it from Him.

Is it asking too much to take a percentage of your income and give it to God’s work? That is called tithing. The Bible talks about tithes and offerings. Tithe means "a tenth." In fact, Jesus commended the Pharisees for their tithing, while at the same time saying they were simply missing the point (see Matthew 23:23). Every Christian should tithe and bring offerings (see Malachi 3:10).

What if all the church was just like you? No individual Christian can sin without affecting the whole body of Christ. No child of God can grow cold in the spiritual life without lowering the spiritual temperature of everyone else around him or her. You affect others, and others affect you.