God’s Ownership and Justice

The doctrine of creation motivates Christians to share their resources with one another. God is the creator and author of all things, therefore, everything we have belongs to God.

In Genesis 1, God gave Adam and Eve “dominion” over creation. This is a call for the responsibility of leadership and stewardship. Man was allowed to rule over the works of his hands.

Psalms 8:6 says, “Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands: thou hast put all things under his feet.” God gave humans authority over the world’s resources but not ownership.

Psalms 24:1 says, “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” In ancient times, the steward of an estate had authority over the estate but not the ownership. He can live comfortably and enjoy the fruit of his labor. His responsibility is to manage the estate in a way that pleases the owner and is fair to his fellow servants.

This concept may be counterintuitive to our society. We believe if we have success in life, we believe it is the result of our hard work. Therefore, we believe we have an absolute right to use our resources as we see fit.

The Bible does say that in Proverbs 6:9-11. “How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard, when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep so, shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth , and thy want as an armed man.”

If you have money, power, and status today, it is due to the century and place in which you were born. Also, to your talents, capacities, and health which none of these you never earned. All are the gifts of God.

David, the wealthiest man in Israel prayed, “Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; and thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thou hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee and praise thy glorious name. But who am I, and who is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? For all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.” (1 Chronicles 29:11-14).

The ownership of resources and property are man’s oldest rights expected. Social problems occur when man seeks ownership of what is rightly God’s. Social poverty and illiteracy does not change very much because we may blame the failure of moral character and breakdown of family. Or we may blame government for not changing unjust social structures. Or we may blame parents. But nobody blames the children for being born where they were born. Some are born into poverty. Some are born into cultured homes. If there is no distribution of opportunities, and neighbor helping neighbor, this is injustice in the planned concept of God for his children.