As we learned in the last lesson, God calls us to respect every person. And that respect must also apply to every person’s earthly goods. We are not what we own. Our possessions do not define us, but we must treat our possessions with respect. When we follow Jesus, we love everything he loves and respect what we own because ultimately, everything belongs to God. You may have experienced situations similar to these:
• Jimmy left his new bike on the front lawn. The next day it was gone. Someone had stolen it.
• Christine had a favorite doll. She was very careful with it, but one day her younger brother grabbed it and broke it.
• Kyle and his family liked to go camping. This year, however, they could not go to their favorite spot. A careless camper had caused a forest fire. Now the area is just burnt trees and ashes.
These examples deal with taking care of earthly goods and respecting the possessions of others.
