“Jesus said…”Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s” (MARK 12: 17)
And how do we know what things belong to God? They have God’s image on them! We are to give to God the things stamped with God’s image — us! We are to give God ourselves — our whole selves — not just some part.
How is it with you? You may be inclined to give God your mind, but your heart is far from Him. Or you may give God your heart, but you are unwilling to learn from God in His Word. You may be willing to give God your muscle, but remain unwilling to bring your body to worship or fellowship or study with other Christians.
We cannot say that “this part belongs to God, so I will give it to God, but this area of my life is none of God’s business.” You and I, we are created in God’s image. We are to give Him our all, because we represent the very nature of God.
Everything we are and everything we have belongs to God. Everything we are and everything we have we are to give (back) to God. We are but mere managers or stewards of these gifts God has given to us.
Let’s imagine for a moment what that would look like if we gave our entire being to God. Our homes would not merely be a private place for ourselves where we rest from our day’s work, and where we eat and sleep. Our homes would be places of healing that welcome in weary travelers. They would be sanctuaries that offer comfort, peace, encouragement and acceptance to others.
Our families would not be only a bunch of people who share the same bathroom and fight over the remote control, but would be centers of worship, where godly values are shaped and molded, and where unconditional love, understanding and forgiveness are lived out.
Our possessions – cars, houses, businesses, and the countless toys we have would not be the things that give us our value. We would not try to keep up with the Jones’s. But rather we would use all our material assets to glorify God. The use of everything we own comes back to the image we have been given by the Creator Himself. We give ourselves to God because we are God’s. He has created us to worship Him and to reflect the radiance of His love, His compassion, His friendship.
As you go from here today I want to challenge you to think about the things in your life that God wants you to give back to Him. Render unto God that which belongs to God! Give Him your life – and let every moment of your life be an act of worship to His glory and honor. (FREDERICK FUNK)