This is my world

Leonard was training for his black belt, but something was wrong. His teacher told him to "own the mat." When he changed his viewpoint, things got easier. "This is my mat, and I welcome my attackers. They are on my mat, my home territory. I own this place." He moved with greater confidence and grace, easily achieving his black belt.

According to his teachings, we need to approach life like this. "This is my ..." home, work place, restaurant, park, sidewalk, road. (It gives "owning the road" a whole new meaning.) This is my world.

However, is it really? Isn't this my father's world? (This post has more questions than answers.) Yes, this is my Father's world, and I'm a King's Kid.

But, once again, we are told we're "strangers and aliens." I'm not sure "my father's world" or "king's kid" are biblical phrases, but I know "strangers and aliens" comes from the New Testament. If I'm a stranger in a strange land, and I don't belong here, how can I "own the mat."

How can I reconcile these two views? Either this is my world, or it isn't. Is it even possible to "own" this world when I don't "belong" to it? My mom inherited a piece of property from her father. It happens to be on an Indian reservation in South Dakota. I don't think I'm registered with the tribe, so, will it pass to me, or revert to the tribe? What would they do if I showed up and claimed it? (If you've never met me, I'm severely white, with red hair. I look nothing like your stereotypical Sioux.)

Lets backtrack, and look at this from a different viewpoint. I belong to God. As his adopted son, I am an heir of God, and co-heir with Jesus. This world will pass away, and all we see. What I will be, and inherit, has not yet been seen by human eyes. By this reasoning, I shouldn't be proud or possessive of this "world" because this isn't mine. This is temporary and passing away.

In this whole, wide world, then, what is mine?

[T]he art of owning your life has larger implications. Are you willing to own, to take sincere and positive responsibility for your relationships, your financial situation, your health, your spiritual life? ... [T]here are limits, things beyond our personal control. But perhaps there are fewer of these than we might think.

Yes, here is the difference I was looking for. This is the last paragraph in this chapter. I can't "own" my job, because I have a boss to whom I answer. I can't own my "home" because I have a wife. The difference lies in the choices I make concerning my life, and how I interact with those around me.

I need to constantly remind myself that God is with me. He is my center. The choices I make are based on that unshakable fact. The decisions I make will affect my family, my friends, and my co-workers.