It’s Mine…

1 Corinthians 15:58–16:3

⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

¹ Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do.

² On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.

³ And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem.

It’s “”

From childhood, “Mine!” is one of the first words we instinctively learn. We apply it to my room, my job, my house, my needs.

“Mine” is not always wrong—it is simply .

There is a right way to claim “mine” over what falls within our God-given responsibility: my family, my community, my church, my country.

The purest expression of “mine” is when a creator claims what they have made—an artist, a carpenter, a mother. Yet even then, our ability to say “mine” is deeply limited. Our sovereignty is small.

(MULTILINE)

Sovereignty

This is why we must recover an important word: sovereignty

Sovereignty = the full and to govern.

While we exercise limited forms of sovereignty (over our conscience, our decisions, and some of our responsibilities), only God exercises absolute sovereignty.

This truth is captured beautifully in the famous line from Abraham Kuyper:

“There is not one square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, ‘Mine!’”

Some hear Christ’s “Mine!” as a threat to their autonomy, but those who see clearly understand it as the foundation of worship, vocation, service, love, and generosity.

If God is sovereign, that means:

1. Everything is gift.
2. Scarcity is a lie.
3. I am a steward.

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1. Everything Is a

When David invited Israel to give toward the temple, the people responded wholeheartedly. Their joy came from a deep belief about the nature of what was in their hands.

1 Chronicles 29:9–14 (ESV)

9 Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly. 10 Therefore David blessed the Lord in the presence of all the assembly. And David said: “Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. 11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. 12 Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. 13 And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name. 14 “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.

(MULTILINE)

2. Scarcity Is a

Human systems operate on scarcity—limited supply, get it while you can, take what you must. But God’s sovereignty shatters the myth of scarcity.

1 Chronicles 29:11–14 reminds us that everything belongs to God, that He rules over all, and that His resources do not run dry.

The lie of scarcity is as old as Eden, where the serpent whispered that God was holding out on Adam and Eve. When we believe this lie, we hoard, fear, grasp, and call things “mine” in destructive ways.

But if God is sovereign:

• there is no need to fear lack,
• no need to cling anxiously to what we have,
• no need to secure our future apart from Him,
• for, “your heavenly Father knows what you need.”

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3. I Am a

If everything comes from God and belongs to God, then whatever sits in your hands is “Mine to “, not to own.

We are stewards of:

• our time,
• our energy,
• our skills,
• our jobs,
• our finances,
• our relationships,
• our homes,
• our cars,
• our land,
• and even all of creation.
  • Stewardship is not political—it is spiritual.

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Stewardship set us free.

Fear hoards and imprisons, but stewardship trusts God’s provision and opens our hands.

Paul teaches this in his second letter to the Corinthians:

2 Corinthians 9:6–11 (ESV)

6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 9 As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” 10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.

We don’t give reluctantly or under compulsion. We give freely.

It’s all a !

Everything comes from God; everything goes back to Him; everything is a blessing in His hands.

(MULTILINE)

Fruit That Remains

There is something eternal about faithful stewardship. Material gifts are temporary, but the spiritual fruit produced through generous stewardship abides.

1 Corinthians 15:58 (ESV)

“Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

What we give to God—our time, our resources, our love, our service—becomes something more in His economy. Our gifts “overflow” (2 Corinthians 9:12) as God uses them to bless others, heal hearts, and advance His kingdom.

It is a gift with an impact.

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Finally

Every square inch of life is under the sovereignty of God. Therefore:

It isn’t mine. It is mine to steward.

Practice saying that.

Practice praying that.

(MULTILINE)

Reflection & Discussion Questions

1. Where in your life do you most instinctively say “mine,” and how might God be inviting you to see that area instead as “mine to steward”?
2. How does Abraham Kuyper’s statement, “There is not one square inch… over which Christ does not cry, ‘Mine!’”challenge or encourage your view of God’s sovereignty?
3. In what practical ways would your habits, giving, or priorities change if you truly believed that everything is gift and that scarcity is a lie?
4. Which resources entrusted to you (time, relationships, abilities, finances) feel hardest to offer freely? What fears lie underneath that, and what might trust look like in those areas?
5. Where have you seen God multiply your stewardship into “fruit that remains,” blessing others in ways your contribution alone could not have accomplished?