God is the subject of the first sentence of the Bible. “In the beginning, God.” He is also the subject of all that comes thereafter. And herein lies one of man’s fundamental problems, which ultimately and inevitably leads us into rebellion—

We think we are the subject of the sentence.

We think life revolves around us! This creates a condition I call “spiritual my-opia,” where we see everything from the perspective of “me” and “mine,” always asking the frontline question, “What’s in this for me?”

Don’t think for a second, though, that this question is only on the lips of secular man. We hear of Christians looking for a church that meets “my needs.” We play games with our spouse because he or she doesn’t meet our emotional needs. We pray simple little prayers focused almost entirely on ourselves, even though the Father has assured us that he knows our needs before we do (Matt. 6:8).

“Spiritual my-opia” is pandemic, and there is only one cure: we must let God be the subject of our lives.

The recounting of Earth’s creation in the early part of Genesis is dominated by a singular word—God. The first section is accentuated by the exclusive name Elohim, which occurs thirty-four times in thirty-four verses, dominating the whole chapter and catching our eye at every point on the page. It is a name that signifies his absolute, unqualified power and majesty.

Beginning in Genesis 2:4, however, the covenant name Yahweh begins to appear in conjunction with Elohim. Yahweh is more frequently used when the focus is on God’s covenant relationship with his people. Thus, it is understandable that this name would be used when the emphasis of the narrative turns toward the creation of man, who is designed to live in covenant relationship with his Creator.

But no matter where you turn, the subject is God! The activity is creation! And the implications are staggering to contemplate!

Everything on earth was created by him and for him. We were created by him and for him. The sovereign God of the universe desires that we know him in intimate relationship and join him in kingdom activity.

Therefore, only when we rightly understand the context of his ownership can our lives have meaning and purpose. We can only know true happiness when we accept and act upon the principles of stewardship he designed into creation.

Hemphill, Ken. 2006. Making Change: A Transformational Guide to Christian Money Management. Nashville, TN: B&H Books.

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