October 2, 2024 Devo

Do you remember the first four-letter word that you learned as a child? If you’re like most of us, it was the most awful of words. It was the one that comes from the basest of our human nature and is to be despised above all others. M-I-N-E. “Mine!” Ever shout that one out? Ever hear it come bellowing out of a child’s mouth the moment another child or sibling begins to play with a toy that the child claims ownership of? We don’t like to just enjoy things. We want to OWN them. We want to CONTROL them. We want to RULE over them.
The Devil knows this human instinct. It was the temptation he used in the Garden of Eden as he told them they could be “like God.” And it’s here in the temptation of Jesus. Satan promises to give all the kingdoms of the world to Jesus. “They will be YOURS. YOU will get the glory. YOU will have all the authority. Just think, you came from Heaven to Earth to change people. Now you can MAKE them do what you want them to do!” From where Jesus sat, it would sure have to sound a lot easier than going to the cross. All it would cost Him is His soul.
Me, my mine. Aren’t those the words that cause so much of the problems in our lives? My space. My stuff. My money. My room. My ministry. My rights. My needs. We try to rule. We try to control. We try to demand. Instead of holding things loosely and seeing ourselves as “stewards,” we clutch things tenaciously and try to OWN them. Then we wonder why people call us selfish, pushy, or controlling.
Don’t take the bait. Satan wants to give you ownership of stuff and people that are not yours to rule or control. Not long after this time of temptation, Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Trade in your “me, my, and mine” for “It’s all YOURS, Lord.” You’ll set yourself free and make others like you a whole lot more. That’s God’s Word for you today.