But God said to him, “You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get it all?” Luke 12:20 NLT
A day’s plans can change in a moment.
Since we were a one-car family, my wife normally drove me to
work. On one particular day, she let me drive. As I attempted to put the car in
reverse, I heard a snap and then noticed the gear shift didn’t look quite
right. It hung limply against the steering column. Within a couple of hours, a
tow truck had taken it to the local Ford dealership, and I had called my mom to
see if we could borrow her car.
I never questioned who owned the car I would temporarily
drive. I didn’t treat it like mine because I knew I had to return it. I was
more careful than usual with my driving and kept the inside and outside as
clean as possible. Mom never said, “You can’t have this car,” but she didn’t
have to. I knew it was on loan.
The rich fool forgot his life was on loan. He had a fertile
farm that produced an abundant crop. He had money to build larger storage
buildings to accommodate the overflow. He planned to sit back and enjoy life’s
pleasures—until God interrupted his plans and reminded him his life wasn’t his
own.
While I don’t have the means to do anything I desire,
adopting the same mindset as the rich fool comes easily. Life was about him and
no one else. But life isn’t all about me. God loaned it to me. He created me in
my mother’s womb and had a plan in place before my birth. One day, God will
call for full repayment of the loan. I’ll stand before my Creator to give an
account of how well I’ve cared for what He entrusted to me. Did I keep the
inside and outside clean? Did I treat it selfishly or use it to do His work?
Did I live like I thought I’d never have to return it to Him?
Our gifts, talents, and opportunities are not inherent or
developed by chance. God has ingrained and loaned them.
Make sure you are using well what God has entrusted to you.
One day, He’ll call for full repayment.
Father, may I always remember my life is on loan from You.
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