Not MY House
When a recent cold snap brought Houston temperatures down near 20 degrees for three nights in a row, the local Christian radio station started issuing pleas for listeners to bring coats, blankets, etc to the downtown shelters for all the homeless who would be seeking refuge. When my wife heard of their plight, she asked me “what are we going to DO to help these people?” I had already responded to several other needs that day, so in noble pastoral fashion, I responded, “Right now I’m tired of helping people. We’re not the only ones in the world. Let somebody else help them.”
Thankfully, my more Godly side won out and after a few phone calls, we ended up with a 7 month pregnant woman and her three sons who stayed in our home for several days until the cold had passed. They had no electricity, their car heater didn’t work, and they were in a pretty desperate situation.
Considering what it meant to this family, our sacrifice was well worth it. We spent a little money, prepared a bit more food, and the kids gave up their bedrooms for a weekend. No big deal. But the lessons we learned were invaluable. Lesson #1 — it’s not our house. God owns this house, and He has been good enough to let us stay here for a while. We’re just travelers passing through on our way to heaven anyway. So, if the house is His, what better way to use it than to help care for those that He cares about.
What if I viewed all my possessions that way? It’s not my car . . . it’s His. How does God want to use His car? To shuttle me back and forth to work — Yes. But how else? And that new lawnmower — it’s great for cutting my lawn . . . but does God have even bigger plans for it?
What would it look like if I’d tithe not only “my” paycheck, but “my” house and “my” car and “my” time as well? Food for thought . . .