Taking Ownership

It seems that fewer and fewer people are “owners” these days. In some residential areas, there are more apartment renters than homeowners. In the luxury car industry, some have speculated there are more leasers than car owners. It has even been reported recently that the DVD industry is failing because more people are opting streaming services such as Netflix vs. buying DVDs of blockbuster movies. We’re losing ownership. Fast.

There was a time when you purchased something, and that was the end of it. After 5, 10, or even 15 years, you would consider replacing it. And that was usually a very deliberate decision made after weeks of pouring through reviews, making comparisons, and having lengthy conversations with salespeople about product features. Today, the average appliance may be changed every 3 to 5 years. And technology becomes old after just 2 years of use. Even most cell phone carriers offer a “New Every 2” incentive, so that you can have the latest devices every other year.

My parents came from a generation of “1 and done.” That meant, you bought something and you were pretty much done paying for it. Back then, if you purchased a television, you may have put out a lot of money upfront for the best model you could afford. And that was the end of it. Today, after spending hundreds, or even thousands of dollars for a great television, you still have to pay a monthly fee for service (even for local access!). When my parents bought me a toy, that was pretty much it until it fell apart. Today, the toys we purchase our kids come with separate attachments, cartridges, and even monthly service fees that force us to keep making payments over time.

Aren’t you glad that at least there’s one thing that’s paid for that you never have to worry about again? As Christians, we know that the price has been paid for our sin debt. Jesus sacrificed Himself and paid for our souls in full. If we believe this, there’s no monthly fee, no payment plan, no service agreement that will keep us apart from Him. God’s love is a constant, as Psalm 100:5 tells us, “For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.”

From now until the end of time, we are His and He is ours. That’s the kind of ownership that matters.