"Gimme my brother's ball back!", one of my favorite lines from 'Boyz In The Hood', John Singleton's classic Hollyhood drama that detailed the trials and tribulations of urban America. This line said in so many ways speaks of how we feel about our possessions, our family's possessions, our expectations, etc. It belongs to me and I want it NOW! "This is my job, my house, my woman/man, my money...this land is my land!" It's our possessive nature that fuels us to go and get what we want in life. It's the catalyst that pushes our motivation past the fortieth hour of work. OWNERSHIP! It's the American dream.
Have you ever wanted to OWN something? I don't mean just having something and calling it yours. I'm referring to the mental ownership of something. What about the job, the raise, the loan for a new home or car, the acceptance into a club or social group? Have you had the baby that you so long have been wanting to or trying to have? Are you waiting on that husband/wife? These are the things we pray so diligently for and praise Him so much for when we get them. We want to be blessed in so many ways...so that we too can experience our piece of the American dream. There is no better feeling than to look at what we have worked so hard for and be able to say "this belongs to me." Ownership is a great feeling for some, and for others it becomes so difficult to maintain the things we thought we wanted we start to neglect them and let them perish.
How do we respond when that thing we OWN or want to OWN is either taken from us, never comes to us, fades away, chooses to leave, or just isn't what we thought it would be? Where do our feelings and emotions take us? Of course as you read this you may be saying to yourself that we press on through all situations and keep fighting the good fight. [Tim. 2:2] Well if that were the case suicide rates would be far lower! Life and death becomes a choice because of something so simple as not getting a job, not getting the loan, not getting or keeping the woman/man, not being, not having, not OWNING! We respond so often without any of God's instruction. He gives us that option. Our mind tells us that self or someone else is responsible for the is or isn't in our life. The mind, when left to think for itself will kill you. Think about it...lose your mind because you lost your job, house, car, man/woman, etc...that you didn't come into this world with, even lose your life! "Gimme my brother's ball back!" I wouldn't tell you this if I wouldn't have seen it with my own eyes. Trust me on this one, I have witnessed someone attempt to take their own life over a relationship that was so short in comparison to the totality of their existence it baffled me. I have witnessed people go into states of depression over the most trivial and meaningless situations that they required medication just to function at a normal level. That is not Gods' plan.
THE BOTTOM LINE? In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth [Gen 1:1]. I believe that. I could stop there, huh? Our problem with the OWNERSHIP perspective we assume is that we don't realize that in order to manage or regulate His creation, there has to be some taking away and giving to so that His best is always the result. No different than any company that has a quality control department. He controls what He puts out. His Will be done is a truth of our lives that we must understand which includes not getting all that you WANT WHEN YOU WANT IT. It even includes you NEVER HAVING WHAT YOU WANT if it is not purposed for you to have it, be it, share it...OWN IT. Everything is not meant for everyone and He gives and takes as He chooses. Don't get caught in the 'paralysis of analysis' wondering who, what, why, where and how your ownership will come to you. While stuck in that position, your ownership opportunity may be passing you by. Don't blame anyone or anything for your situations for what you have or don't have. It is truly by design. For the things I do not possess, I know that I am not ready according to His Will for me.
Live right. Pray hard. Give cheerfully. Be available for Him and He will be available for you. OWN IT.
The fear of not having has been my motivator for so long. I grew up without so many things that everyone else had, i dont want my kids to feel the way i did. I try and give my kids everything they want so they don't feel out of place. My fear now is that by giving my kids so much they won't have the desire and drive that I do. How do you manage that? I don't know how to teach someone to aspire when you have everything you want. That is not my history. I work so hard to have because I know what it feels like to not have. They don't have the motivation I do. Is the desire to keep what you have as strong as the drive to get what you don't have?
ReplyDeletepeace
Let me first state that my background is very similar to yours. I grew up in a nice city full of people with a lot of money. We were not one of those families. Yes, it did motivate me to work hard, set goals and push myself. Many of these rich kids never had any drive and frankly they didn’t have to. They are set for life because of the work of their parents. That’s OK because God had that planned out before the start of time. If accumulating “things” meant happiness in America, why do we consume more anti-depressants and self medicate more than any other country in the world? We work hard and longer to make more money to acquire more things to supply to children to make ourselves feel better because we’re working all the time!
ReplyDeleteIf you look at what you have, as gifts from God, then do we truly own them? The bible teaches us if we have two of something, we should share it. I don’t see a lot of that going on today! I’m not preaching by any means, but do you give your children allowances and let them save up to buy things? My kids have chores every day. If they complete those chores, then they get a small allowance at the end of the week. They can even make additional money if they go above and beyond their chores and really help out in other areas. They save their money and even pull it together as a group to buy a video game after many months of saving. Additionally, they are very proud and much more selective with their purchases.
They have also served the less fortunate at the food pantry, food kitchen and building projects for the elderly. They know and love people no matter what they look like, smell like or sound like. I am humbled by the ideas they come up with for us to serve others. "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked" Luke 12:48.