Mine or Yours?

Give me a bite! How about a sip? These are simple requests, aren’t they? You are not asking for very 
much, just a little taste. Tell that to the five-year-old that you just supplied with a cotton candy ball
bigger than their head! The thought of sharing this coveted prize that they have been given is
unthinkable! “Mine!”.

We have all heard this and experienced it at some point. Unfortunately, it is not always five-year-olds
who show this type of territorialism. We see it in all ages and in all types of people. We even get
glimpses of it in ourselves when it comes down to it. Especially when God asks us for a bite.
What? How does God ask for a bite? It happens whenever He calls us to give a portion of what He has
given us back to Him. He calls us to use our talent, our skills, our resources, our money, and our time in the
service of His Kingdom. And sadly, many Christians sound a great deal like the five-year-old mentioned
earlier. “Mine!”.

When we look at it through these eyes, we can see that God is the source of all that we are and all that
we have. He has provided everything we have. It must give Him the same feeling that we get when He
asks for just a bit of it back and we recoil with selfish hearts.
Is it any wonder that Christians and Churches struggle when we miss out on the opportunity to step into
God’s understanding of generosity? He fills us up to overflowing, not so that we can hoard, but so that
we can give out of the overflow.

Every parent swells with pride and joy when they see their little ones share their prizes, and every
parent cowers in embarrassment when the same child shows an ugly selfish side. The Bible says that
God loves a cheerful giver. It shows a trust in Him that He will never stop supplying our needs.
What is your response to God when He asks for a bite? Is it “Mine!”, or will we say “Yours!”

In Him,
Pastor Scott