Focus: The Spirituality of Possessiveness

Text: Lk.2:49

"Wist ye not that I must be about MY Father's business?"

Possessiveness is not really a good word, but not all possessiveness is bad. Spiritual possessiveness is allowed. Our God is very possessive - a jealous God. In Exodus, He says, "Israel is MY son, even MY firstborn," and then goes on to demand of Pharaoh, "Let MY son go, that he may serve ME: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn" (Ex.4:22,23). In Isaiah, He says, "Israel MINE inheritance… The work of MINE hands… Israel MINE elect… Thou art MINE… For all the earth is MINE" (Isa.19:25; 29:23; 42:1; 43:1; 45:4; Ex.19:5). Again, He says, "Touch not MINE anointed, and do MY prophets no harm" (Ps.105:15). That is the language of possessiveness. God is possessive of us. We are exclusively His. We are His peculiar treasure, His prized and purchased possession.

Our Lord Jesus Christ wants us to be possessive of Him even as He is of us.

Jesus Christ was so possessive of God while He was here on earth physically. He 'owned' God for Himself. For Him, God is not 'our' God, but 'my' God. God was intensely personal to Him. He 'monopolized' God with no apologies.

Let me share with you a few Scriptures. From our text, He says, "I must be about MY Father's business." John's Gospel has more. Jesus says, "I am come in MY Father's name… Make not MY Father's house an house of merchandise… MY Father worketh hitherto, and I work… MY God, MY God, why hast thou forsaken me?… Therefore doth MY Father love me… I and MY Father are one…. I ascend unto MY Father, and your Father; and to MY God, and your God… All things that the Father hath are mine… And all MINE are thine, and thine are MINE…" (Jh.5:17,43; 2:16; 10:17,30; 15:16; 17:10; 20:17; Mt.27:46).

Jesus was absolutely possessive of God. He would not let anything or anyone come between Them. The kinship and intimacy They shared was beyond words to describe. The rapport between Him and His Father was so sweet. The Father recognized Him as "MY Son in whom I am well pleased."

Even Paul is not left out. He says, "MY God shall supply all your needs," and he describes the gospel as "MY gospel," and the ministry as "his ministry" (Phil.4:19; Rom.2:16; 16:25; Act.21:19).

God longs for us to personalize and prioritize Him. We can't tell more of God than we truly know, and it is by getting deeper into God and being closer to Him that we will be able to function with conviction and confidence, authority and audacity. We prove God more and more for ourselves by being intimate with Him. There's joy and peace in having a deeper walk with God. There are spiritual privileges to enjoy resulting from a higher walk with God. Intimacy with God leads to greater discoveries of Him. Possessiveness of God is enriching and rewarding. The higher you go in God the cooler the spiritual air you breathe. God is infinitely deep, and we'll never get to the end of knowing Him. Let's join the lady of the Song of Solomon to heartily say, "MY beloved is MINE, and I am HIS… I am MY beloved's, and MY beloved is MINE" (Song of Sol.2:16; 6:3). Amen.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter