Tuesday, March 12, 2013

March 13, 2013

"And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there: the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD."  Job 1:21
 
Popular syndicated radio talk-show host, Rush Limbaugh often leads into a new segment of his show with the declaration, "Talent on loan from God!".

In my opinion, Rush says that partially because he believes it but mostly because it irritates liberals.

Whether you like Rush or not he is right on this one! You and I and everything we have IS on loan from God! Billy Graham once said, "There are no U-Haul trailers behind a hearse."
 
No one can argue with that obvious truth and no one knows that better than Job. Job had a lot of stuff and lost a lost of stuff but he never lost his faith in God.

So how is it that Job could lose so much so suddenly and so unfairly and still trust God? How was he able to keep such a positive perspective in response to such pain?

The answer is in his answer, "God gave it all so God can take it all back! Bless God!" That was his version of, "It's all on loan from God". Can you dispute that? I can't! Is there the slightest flaw in that logic? I don't think so!

You can only have that attitude if you are free of two other attitudes I battle and I'm sure you struggle with as well.

One attitude is, "I am owed."

When you have been blessed as extravagantly as Job was it is easy to lapse into the attitude, "I deserve this" which is another version of, "You owed me" which is another version of "I earned this". Any of those manifestations is the same attitude of entitlement which can lead to become possessive of the stuff loaned to us by God.

Job was free of that attitude. Are you?

A second attitude is, "I own."

Job could have made the argument that he had worked hard to amass all of his substantial wealth. He probably did. But I he didn't cling to ownership.

Job could have attached his manly ego and self-worth to his extensive wealth. But he didn't.

How do I know that he didn't?

I know because of how Job reacted when it was all taken away. If he had attached significance to his wealth and if he become emotionally connected to it he would have reacted much differently when it was taken away. He would have become angry and resentful when he lost it suddenly. However, I see no evidence of those reactions.

Are you attached emotionally with your money and your material possessions?

Why not remind yourself as you begin this day that yourself and everything you have is on loan from God? Why not offer yourself and all you claim as your own to Him?