“Everything the Father has is mine . . .”

The spirit of competition in our culture is strong.  Some people find it difficult to acknowledge that they are not solely responsible for their achievements.  We can be very presumptuous.  The words and phrases we use, our tone and dialect, come from the people who raise us, or from teachers who help us learn another way.  People who are successful in business or sports owe much to the parents, teachers, coaches, teammates, supervisors and co-workers who helped them on their journey to success.  The intimate, albeit mysterious, union of the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity, and our union with Jesus, is reflected in the words of Jesus, “Everything the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.”  Do we demonstrate in the way we live that everything we have comes from God, belongs to God and is intended to be used for ourselves and for others?  Does our life reflect our gratitude to our Triune God and to all who helped us to be who we are?