Last week, my wife and I had a chance to spend an afternoon with our college kids who are back for a break. We had a lunch together and then walked along a local walkway for a few miles. While it was a beautiful day with beautiful sunshine, we talked about their school life along the way. It has been a long time since they left for college that we can spend such a quality time together. Time really flies! I couldn’t believe that they grew so fast.
Looking at them, I am grateful that God entrusted them to be our children. This lets me think of our Lord Jesus has said, “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day差我來者的意思就是：他所賜給我的，叫我一個也不失落，在末日卻叫他復活。(John 6:39)” This indicates that God entrusts us to the Lord and our Lord promised that each one of us will be raised with Him when He returns. What a great promise! This also tells me that I am responsible for taking care of my kids and most importantly, leading them to the Lord.
In today’s i-centered world, it is not easy to move focus from ourselves to God, when common mentality is “mine, mine and mine”. However, when talking about God’s entrustment, we have to realize that everything we have belongs to Him. This includes our time, talents, wealth, family and our life. Being said that, we are merely temporary owners of God’s possessions. We couldn’t brag or boast anything but God’s grace and mercy.
In the book of Genesis, when Jacob met God the very first time at the place of Bethel, he made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the LORD will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth. 雅各許願說：「神若與我同在，在我所行的路上保佑我，又給我食物吃、衣服穿，使我平平安安地回到我父親的家，我就必以耶和華為我的神，我所立為柱子的石頭也必做神的殿。凡你所賜給我的，我必將十分之一獻給你。(Genesis 28:20-22)」”. We could see the obvious i-centered mentality of Jacob. This is a representation of our sinful nature – when we don’t know God personally, we are self-centered oriented.
Only after Jacob had worked for Laban for 20+ years, he then realizes that God is truly with him always (Genesis 31:5). He finally acknowledged God’s entrustment of his family and wealth. What a change! Oftentimes, we are so care about what we have at hand and we forget that everything is entrusted by God. Only when we can develop a close relationship with Him then we can be a good trustee of God. May you will hear our Lord say, “You are a good and faithful servant” when He returns.
Disclaimer: The sharing is pure from my personal view; therefore, please don’t take it to be absolute. Thanks.