God Motivation and Ownership

It is said that we have a lot in the United States. True. But I would venture to say that we are owned by a great many things as well. When our human race was born, we were given the instruction to have dominion over and subdue the earth that we were placed in (Genesis 1:26-28). How have we been doing? In some respects I would say that we've done very well. We have learned how to harness resources, to build, tame, and cultivate. But what can we say of many of the products of our creative minds that we feel we must have as part of our lives? Are we really having dominion and subduing? What are the things that we have made and purchased that so beg and even demand our attention to the extent that we are often distracted from the One who has made us and given us the charge to exercise ownership of His world? In our endeavor to have things which we think will make our lives happier and easier, we find that there is much that is required in the way of maintenance--repairs, monthly payments, special sleep aides to relieve us from thinking about our stuff, etc.

Personal examples: There are probably dozens of home improvement/maintenance projects that I can think of right now which will take many days to accomplish. My cell phone has been ringing incessantly with people interested in a cheap old car that I have listed in the classifieds. My dog sheds about 1 hair every 2 seconds of every day (How does he have any left?!) for the vacuum to eat. I have a bit of exercise equipment I purchased that I feel very compelled to use as if I can cover the cost by spending time with it. Will that food in the fridge go bad if I don't eat it soon?...here comes the exercise equipment guilt again. And the list goes on.

I'm tired of being owned by the things I'm supposed to own and I fear that God isn't happy with the situation either. The apostle Paul said that he would not be enslaved by anything (1 Corinthians 6:12) even though he said it wasn't necessarily wrong for extra things to be introduced to our lives. Slavery?! Americans scoff at the thought applied to this situation, seeing as how getting more stuff is one of our primary aims. But again, though it is perhaps speculation, I wonder if we're not a bunch of smiling schmucks enslaved by the lives we've decided we need. In the church we (and I include ME) talk about how little time we have for meditating on the Scriptures, for prayer, for service, etc. But boy don't we love that "family friendly" theater room we're still setting up and paying off...and don't we love talking about it with our friends when we're at church.

I'm making a resolve. I don't want it unless I can own it. I want to subdue so that I can learn submission. I want to dominate in order to further understand dependence. I want to own so that I'm ready to be used. This doesn't mean that I don't want to take care of things that God has entrusted to me, but that I want to be wise in discerning between stewardship and slavery; and I acknowledge that this will every day be a difficult walk. But, I want my life to be one where I am God motivated, having Him in my sights, carried along by His Spirit over the mounds of stuff that I would otherwise be carrying as a burden which casts a shadow all around me and loses pieces along the way that I think need to be picked up.

Lord, help me to be God motivated in ownership. Help me to understand what it means to have dominion, to subdue, and to stay out of slavery except unto Jesus. Thank-you for being a loving and perfect Master.