Is It Really Yours?

Part of my job is to connect with people. The easiest way I have found to do so on a grand scale is through social media. While each network carries different possibilities than the one before it, they all offer advice of some sort. Whether it be on relationships, health, retail purchases, religion, food, jobs, or romance, opinions are free and out there on every subject we can think of. 

In Proverbs chapter 11, seeking council is wise in order that we as a people do not fall. But, how often do we ask advice from a source that isn’t necessarily educated enough to give a sound answer? I like to think that people are generally intelligent and positive in nature being that we are made in the likeness of God, but when reviewing my own media feed, I have to second guess how I came to this conclusion.

Today a friend posted his relationship struggles and while he didn’t ask for a response, many gave one including myself. While scrolling through the list of comments, my friend also posted the classic saying “When you love something, let it go and if it comes back to you, it’s yours.” Reading this caused me to stop and think. I have always agreed that there is some legitimate truth to this statement, but now that I try and align my thinking with scripture, I am not sure that this is the hope we should cling to.

Psalms 24:1 declares that “The Earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” Accepting the fact that we don’t own anything or anyone is hard. We all feel entitled to a certain degree especially if it is our children or spouses. So, what do we do with the fact that we can’t truly own anything?

Our only form of hope is that we be made into a steward of one or many according to God’s will. It is He who gives and takes away and the only one who can truly restore anything back to us (Job 1:21). With this absolute knowledge, it seems to me that if we honestly want something more than we have, we should petition the One that has the authority to give it to us. We are far more likely to see a return on our efforts through prayer than hoping a significant other finds their way back to us in an already confused and lost world.

Lord,

Steer us all in the right direction and help us to understand your sovereign decisions.

Amen