That's Mine! and Other Four Letter Words You Should Remove
Few things burn on my eardrums like hearing my kids bicker over something…
“That’s mine!”
We’ve all heard kids argue like this.
What reply seems to roll off the tongue of a midwestern dad?
“Really? I wasn’t aware of you owning anything in this house!”
I’m not sure how this script was inserted into the brain of every father, but I think it might be a sign of the Creator.
God responds to greedy and grabby people in much the same way in 1 Corinthians 4:7.
The Corinthians were divided because of personal preference and selfish interests. They were rallying around leaders that suited their desires.
Paul spends the first several chapters calling them to wake up and see things clearly.
Who’s house do they think they live in?
7 For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?
1 Corinthians 4:7
You’ve probably heard, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” This is a needed word for the discontent.
I’d like to add a partner: Comparison fuels conceit.
When we compare ourselves with others, we forget the gifts of God.
Comparison fuels conceit and conceit fuels conflict.
When we start arguing about what we have, we inevitably turn our attention to who really deserves what we have.
The debate about who really deserves anything can only exist when we forget our Heavenly Father.
Paul cuts through the noise of the Corinthians’ divisions and asks simply, “Is there anything on your resume that wasn’t a gift from God?”
This question is worth regular reflection and prayer. I know I have needed to be humbled by it at least 3 times this week!
Who are you in conflict with? How might your pride be fueled by a comparison that is built on your own righteousness rather than the grace of God?
Remembering that all we have, achieve, and are is by God’s kindness, transforms the way relate with others.
May we be people who are regularly saying, “That’s God’s!”