We Are Managers, Not Owners

Have you ever borrowed something and felt that nervous sense of responsibility—like, “Don’t break it. Don’t lose it. Don’t let anything happen to it”? That’s because it wasn’t yours.

Today, we’re talking about that same idea but with a twist—what if everything in your life… isn’t really yours either? The Bible reminds us we’re not owners—we’re managers. Our time, our talents, our money, even our relationships—they’re all things we’ve been entrusted with. So, we’re gonna have a little fun exploring what it means to manage well, live generously, and hold things with open hands.

Main Scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:2 (NLT) — “Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful.”

God gives us everything, and we are to take care of it.

Let’s talk about the everyday stuff we manage—like our homes, cars, calendars—and how viewing them as borrowed blessings can shift our whole perspective.

As we live life, we know that we worked for and paid for pretty much all that we have, but we can lose track of the fact that we have what we have overall because God has provided it all for us. The job, the paycheck, the roof over our heads—God provides, and we just reap the benefits of His giving and supplying our needs.

Ever borrowed someone’s car and suddenly became the most careful driver in history?

You're avoiding potholes like they’re lava, parking two spaces away from everyone. Why? Because you’re borrowing—and we tend to take better care of what’s not ours. What if we treated everything in our lives that way?

Everything we have, we need to take care of—because God has given us everything.

From our finances to our gifts, everything we have is from God. We’re stewards—not CEOs.

Once I switched my thinking over to God provides all and I need to be thankful and steward it well, everything became lighter. It was the thought that God knows our needs and will provide that really put things into perspective.

If God is our main provider, then we don’t need to worry so much—because He sees us. Sure, we’ll still work and put the effort in, which is what we are to do, but our mindset shifts from we have to have this and this and this to we don’t have to have it all—we just have to manage well what He’s placed in our hands.

One thing God provides is time, and that is something we need to learn to manage well and see as a gift.

We act like time is ours to spend—but it’s really a gift we’re managing for God’s purposes.

What would change if you started your day asking, “God, how do You want me to use today?”

What has God asked you to be faithful with in this season?

Big or small, whatever God’s entrusted to you—it matters.

What does it look like to manage what really matters with faithfulness and purpose?

Like relationships, dreams, and gifts. We’re going to get into that a bit, because we can lose track that literally all things are gifts from God, and we are to manage each of them well.

Main Scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:2 (NLT) — “Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful.”

As parents, we sometimes forget our kids are God’s before they’re ours. This can be hard to grasp… well, at least it was for me. Being a converted person of control, it took a lot of prayer for me to be able to hand my kids over to God completely. I’ve learned that with His guidance, our household is so much better than it ever was.

Letting them go on field trips is one thing—letting God write their story? Whew!

In fact, I read once that we can raise our children, but no matter what, they will all have their own testimonies to tell. This has stuck with me. We, as parents, are to raise God-fearing and God-following kids—and in that, we manage, nurture, and guide—but ultimately, they belong to Him.

God gave each of us talents—not to hoard, but to use for His glory.

Whether it’s baking, teaching, organizing, or encouraging—it’s not ‘yours’ to keep. It’s yours to steward.

When we’re gifted things from the Lord, we strive to grow in those. And in doing so, we can feel like we have something to prove. But overall, God gifted us with these things to bring glory to Him.

Something else given to us by God is our money—and money can easily feel like it owns us, instead of the other way around. When we see money as a tool—not a trophy—we start using it with wisdom and generosity.

So yes, we need to be good stewards of all the gifting's given to us and make sure we stay humble and wise when we use them.

Let’s talk about how managing what God gives us doesn’t have to feel like pressure—it can actually bring joy and freedom when we trust the Owner.

When you think you own everything, the pressure’s all on you. But when you realize God owns it—you can rest.

You’re not the owner of the outcomes—you’re just called to be faithful with what you’ve got.

Sometimes we forget—managing God’s stuff is a privilege.

You were hand-picked to care for what God has given you. That’s a big deal.

When you look over and think about what you have, what is it that God has placed in your hands right now—and how can you manage it with joy, care, and faith?

What we need to do is hold it loosely, use it well, and of course, trust the Owner to multiply it.

When we handle well what God has given us, He will give us more to manage and also multiply what we’ve so carefully stewarded.

We are to abide, dwell, remain, and stay close to Jesus. And when we are stewarding what He has given us by letting Him lead and guide us, we stay close to Him and His will for our lives.

Remember this: you’re not the owner—and that’s actually really freeing. You’re a manager—entrusted with time, relationships, gifts, and resources from a good and generous God. So, take care of what He’s given you, but don’t carry the pressure of making it all work. He’s still in charge. All He asks is that you be faithful.