The check engine light came on in my truck about a week ago.
This is the fourth time in 6 weeks it has come on, and I would be lying
to you if I told you I handled it well. I was so frustrated that my truck
was costing me so much of my time and money lately, that I started thinking
that maybe it was time to buy a new truck. I quickly remembered the
lesson I learned in college when I traded in my nice truck (that had a brand
new engine in it) because the check engine light came on and I didn't want to
deal with it, for a car whose engine blew up three days later (talk
about embarrassing). My problem, I was holding on to tight to my
stuff, ultimately making decisions that would continue to cause my
situation to get worse, instead of releasing the decision and the truck to God.
My, my, my.
The problem is, the more I claim ownership of stuff, the more I am tied
to this world and spend unnecessary stress to maintain what isn't
mine to begin with. God has made me a manager over the "stuff"
he has given me in my life. My family, my health, and
my possessions are under my care to manage but belong to God.
It is so much less stressful being a manager than an owner. When I
manage something and it falls apart, I turn to the owner and let him know that
it is beyond my control and release it back to him. When I give control
back to God over the areas of my life that have fallen apart (and the areas
of life that haven't), I become a better manager.
When I had my
business, I would tell my employees all the time that, “The sooner you let me
know you broke something, the sooner you are freed from the obligation of
worrying about it." Why? Because it was my business (ok you caught me, it was God's but mine to manage) , I hired
guys to do the best they can, and when they couldn't do any better, I gave them
the freedom to give it back to me and continue on working (I also knew that
they are better employees when they are not worried about stuff and are focused
on their work).
I love Job's words
as he looks at his life crumbling around him, "naked I came from my
mother's womb, and naked I shall return". That's how he handled his stress;
he formed a realistic worldview on his stuff. The stuff never
belonged to him to begin with, for if it did, he would have been born with it
and would be able to take it with him when he dies.
What area of your
life needs to be given back to the original owner? What area of life have
you lost full control of? He has given you the freedom to hand it back to
Him, all messed up and broken, so that you can go back to managing the other
things he has given you.
Psalm 24:1 says,
The earth is the LORD'S and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell
therein.
