No Trespassing

We are all territorial to some degree, some more than others. Property and restricted areas are clearly marked with No Trespassing, Keep Out, and No Admittance signs. This type of signage is necessary due to the innate tendency we all have to invade the space of others and the reckless disregard of the unappreciative. Even animals mark their territory when breeding or feeding. Their territorial behavior ranges from a dog urinating, a male lion eating the cubs of another one’s pride, to a spider monkey throwing feces; disgusting. Self preservation and self protection are primal urges in both man and beast.

Respecting the possessions and privacy of others is a given. Some may think what follows is taking quite a leap with this idea and that I am straying from the topic. However, the human psyche can develop such a paranoia that it results in insulation and isolation. It is driven by the spirit of poverty. Poverty commonly summons the thought of financial loss, but it encompasses far more than that. It is an elusive emotion that is rooted in the fear of not having. I know people whose net worth classifies them as being wealthy yet they are controlled by the spirit of poverty. We were born with our arms and legs curled inward and our hands clenched tight. Then, when a child begins to open their hands to grasp objects, they will instinctively hold on and say “Mine!” The seeds of greed are in our DNA.

Ironically, the things we think we own really own us. You insure it, refinance it, repair it, refill it, remodel it, refinish it etc. etc. I am not advocating neglecting the conscientious maintenance and management of the things we have been blessed with, but stuff definitely begets more stuff. Taken to the extreme, it becomes the shocking dysfunction of hoarding. Jesus said, “If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it.” My paraphrase is: if you can’t give it up, you can’t keep it.  Whenever I get upset over the loss or damage of my stuff, and I do, it is a reminder that my values have been misplaced. We really don’t own anything. We are only stewards of His abundant generosity. When we give something we are merely giving what we have been given.

-RW