Is it Ours or is it God's

Acts 4: 32-37 32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. 34 There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. 36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), 37sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet. Is what you own yours or is it the Lord's? As I thought about this a conversation I overheard this week came to my mind. Two people were discussing a book that speaks about a huge lifestyle change that someone made for the Lord. This person literally gave up everything that he had and went and lived amongst the poor. When asked what one thought of this, one person said that he didn't think that was what everyone should do while the other one stated that was an excuse. What was ironic to me was that the one stating the belief that we should all do it, had not done so himself. Jesus tells us in Luke 12:48 that if we are given much, much will be demanded. If we are given the resources to share and we do not give then we are not following the will of God. This is not speaking of our material blessing but of our Spiritual life. In this passage Jesus is speaking about us living in the will of the Master and being ready when He returns. So, let's combine these two passages and try to figure out what the will of the Father is? Joseph, the Levite must have been wealthy. It states that he sold a field and gave his earnings to the Apostles. I do not see that he sold everything that he owned and I don't see that he gave it to the poor. Why did he give it to the apostles and what did they do with it? It doesn't really tell us what they did with the money but I believe that they used it to spread the Gospel. I have a feeling that he had more fields and other sources of income but he did what he felt he needed to do to aid in the furtherance of the Kingdom of God. He had a gift of encouragement which he used along with his financial status in order to proclaim the Gospel. Joseph or Barnabas was evidently not given the gift of being an Apostle, of preaching nor a gift specifically of teaching but he had a significant role in the spreading the Gospel by giving what he had, money and encouragement. He was given much and in return he gave much. He taught through his actions. As we think about the question I asked in the beginning of this blog we must think about what we have been given and how we use that to further the Gospel. I knew someone who went out and purchased a car. He stated that had prayed about it and felt that it was God's will for him to have this car. I never had the opportunity to ride in this car but I guess it must have been something really special. I wonder though, why would God want us to have "things"? How do "things" help us in furthering the Gospel? I believe that if we give up those things to further the Gospel an/or to share with other believers then God will be pleased. It is very easy to say that we are willing but the true answer comes when we actually put those words into action. We recently lost a dear Christian brother who put these words into action. He and his wife lived in Denver, Colorado. When they first started living there they had an apartment and went back and forth from our town to Denver. They shared this apartment with brothers and sisters in Christ. They gave their key if they weren't going to be home and opened their doors widely when they were there. Later they bought a house and did the same. Each year I go to the doctor in Denver and they always insisted that we stay with them. One time we were on our way to the airport in Denver. We were going to sleep in our car for the night and board the plane early the next morning. We happened to see them on our way to Denver as they were traveling back themselves. When he asked where we were staying my husband told him of our plans and this fine Christian brother would not hear of this. He insisted we stay with them and would not take no for an answer. He also insisted that he take us to the airport and pick us up from the airport saving us the expense of parking and protecting our vehicle while we were gone. This to me is using what God has given you to do His will. This is sharing possessions as the early church did. I learned much from this man by watching his actions. I came to realize my home is not my own but should be used to spread the Gospel, to share with fellow Christians and to have open doors to anyone who needs a listening ear or a place to sleep. We each have to look at our possessions and decide if we have them for our own pleasure or if we have them because it will help us spread the Gospel and to encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ. If we hold on too tight then it is probably time to let go but if we have an open hand then we are using it in the right manner. As you seek Him, thank Him for what you have and ask Him how He wants you to use it. Seeking Him with all my heart, Sheila