Mine!

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.

Psalm 24:1 (NLT)

There is a well-known scene in the movie Finding Nemo. If you’ve ever seen the movie, I can just say one word and it will instantly pop into your head. “Mine!” If you’re not hearing seagulls, then you haven’t seen it. Here’s the deal. In this scene, there is a dock in the harbor of Sydney, Australia upon which a bunch of seagulls sitting around. Suddenly, a sea creature that they normally eat appears, and they all turn their attention toward it and begin shouting, “Mine! Mine! Mine!” Of course, the way they shout it sounds like a seagull’s call. It’s an instant Disney classic moment. (Here’s a taste if you haven’t seen it: https://youtu.be/p-3e0EkvIEM)

Of course, are we humans much different than those crazy birds? I mean, maybe the reason it’s an instant classic isn’t just because it’s funny, but because we can relate. If you are a parent, you probably remember when your child went through the phase where they would not share anything. (For those who aren’t parents yet, or your kid hasn’t reached two years old, you’ll get it eventually.) Everything they touched became, “Mine!” I remember prying a straw out of one of my child’s hands because they kept gagging themselves with it. They immediately flew into a temper tantrum. It was a straw! Seriously?

Us adults can be the same way. Maybe we don’t become obsessive about a straw, but we sure do about our lives. And, as Christians, this is dangerous territory because our lives aren’t actually ours. In case you forgot, when you accepted Jesus as your savior, your life stopped being “Mine!” and was instead turned over to Jesus. It is now “His!”

Even King David got this concept – though he struggled with follow through a bit – when he penned our verse today, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.” In other words, there is nothing that exists apart from God. The earth? He built it. Each person? As the bible says, He knit them together in their mother’s womb. In other words, everything in existence is here because of Him. It is His.

So, today, and every day, give God His due. Give Him thanks for this life, and the promise of the one to come. Give thanks for the things He is loaning you. Give thanks for all He has done and will do. Give thanks that He loves us enough to share His goodness.

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