Take Ownership

19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

Ephesians 2:19-22

As guests or visitors, we come into a house with a dish and fellowship with the other guests. We don't have any real responsibility other than watching over ourselves. We come, enjoy, then leave... sometimes offering to help cleanup but most of the time leaving well before that starts. As owners of the house, there's much more responsibility. We clean, fix, prepare, cook, think of ways to entertain the guests; the list goes on. Why do we do this? It's because we take ownership, it's our responsibility and it brings us joy. Being co-heirs in Christ is the same thing. We can no longer go through this life thinking we're just guests. We need to behave, not as visitors, but as sharers of this wonder inheritance. We are citizens of heaven and we need to invite, share, love as those who came before us.

Take ownership, that's a term I use quite a lot at work... mainly because most of the employees don't. They're fine with just coming to work, doing their part and leaving at the end of the day. There's no sense of ownership or caring beyond their given tasks. But that's me too with my citizenship in heaven. I only do my part, my calling, because I wasn't called into this or that area. What this passage is teaching me is that I need to take ownership of heaven.... my heaven. If I truly want to be like the apostles before me I need to take ownership like they did.

Father God, thank You for preparing a place for me in heaven. I'm so thankful but now I need to go beyond that and be zealous for the kingdom and all that it's about. I need to invite and share this amazing inheritance wi everyone You direct me to. No longer can I go through this world living as a visitor of heaven... I'm a visitor of this world, not heaven. In the most precious name of my Lord Christ Jesus I pray, amen.


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