Sometime in September of last year, brother Sola Olabode handed me a book by Joyce Meyer. The title of the book is HOW TO AGE WITHOUT GETTING OLD. I guess it was his contribution towards preparing me for my senior years as I had much talked about my 60th birthday before. He gave me to read and return. It was a book I enjoyed thoroughly, however, with one regret. Typically, when I read a book, I dissect it – if I own the book, that is. You will see me put asterisks, underline important words and phrases, and put side notes. I couldn’t do any of those for the fact that the book was not mine. I knew I was going to return it, and doing so in the best condition was not only a way of showing gratitude but also demonstrating responsibility.

I could easily connect that with Paul’s admonition to the Corinthians. Writing to distance them from fornication, he based his argument on the fact that they did not own themselves. God owned them because He purchased them. What he wrote to them applies even now. Beyond the subject of fornication or adultery, we need to develop the same mindset in all areas of life.

You can do what you please with what you own, but not with the things of others in your possession.

Here then is the stark reality – we own nothing! Not this year or the hours within it. The year belongs to God. To this extent, we cannot venture into doing just about anything that tickles our fancy. Both we and the year must be consecrated to God so that everything is done to please Him.