As we work and achieve, we accumulate influence, titles, assets, and money. As they say, we build a life. Our life comprises our reputation, our job, our house, our car, and our relationships.

Looking at the results of our effort – to what we’ve committed so much sweat and blood – is an immensely rewarding experience. As Margaret Atwood writes in her poem, The Moment:

“The moment when, after many years
of hard work and a long voyage
you stand in the centre of your room,
house, half-acre, square mile, island, country,
knowing at last how you got there,
and say, I own this.”

But do we ever really own anything? All that we have in this life – our skills and talents, health, all our money and physical possessions, even life itself – do we really have control over it? It is really ours only in trust. We are renters. Our lives are here on loan from God, and loans can get called in at any time. Remember the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30, ESV).

“Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.” (v. 19)

A natural disaster can occur. Someone can destroy our dominant market position. We can be fired. Our health may fail. A loved one can leave. People die. We die! The parable of the rich fool reveals this.

“But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” (Matthew 12:13-21, ESV)

Later in her poem, Margaret Atwood warns against the pride and satisfaction of surveying one’s position in life. The moment you do that, she says, nature rebels. Almost out of spite, it feels the need to rebuke you for your pride.

No, they whisper. You own nothing.
You were a visitor, time after time
climbing the hill, planting the flag, proclaiming.
We never belonged to you.
You never found us.
It was always the other way round.

But it is not impersonal nature rebelling but God reminding you: you own nothing. Everything is dynamic. What we have today may be gone tomorrow – we ourselves may be gone tomorrow. Understanding that, we should appreciate everything accordingly.

“For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.” (Revelation 3:17-18, ESV)

Be grateful and humble, or life will rebuke you. God is in charge and will reclaim what is His.

“The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, ESV)

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