Develop an owner's mentality

by Donato Anzalone

Luke 15:11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.”

This is probably the most famous of all parables. Great preachers from all times have excelled in the exposition of the story of the prodigal son. We know that the father represents our Heavenly Father who is full of love, compassion and mercy for a son that left him and was lost in sin and debauchery. The older son represents the faithful children of God, the believers in the church. The younger son asked for his inheritance and wasted it all and when he came to his senses he returned to his father who ran to him, kissed him and welcomed him as if nothing had ever happened. Oh… Not quietly so. The Father knew what happened, but he forgave his son and ordered a big celebration because his son that was lost had been found again.

From on verse 25, though, we begin to hear from the older brother. “And his elder son was in the field. And as he came and drew near the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him safe and sound. And he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and entreated him. And answering he said to his father, Lo, these many years I have served you, neither did I transgress your commandment at any time. And yet you never gave me a kid so that I might make merry with my friends.” In verse 31 the father answers, “Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.”  

This is exactly what the Father wants you to know. He wants you to get hold to the fact that all that He has is yours! It is yours now! He is not holding back anything from his children. It is true that Satan, being the god of this world (2 Cor. 4.4) holds the whole world under the grips of his power, but this should not be so when it comes to believers. God has set you free from the power of darkness and has transferred you in the kingdom of his beloved son (Col. 1.13). That kingdom belongs to the Father: “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. (Psalm 24:1)” The devil owns the system in which the world functions, but he does not own the earth. The earth and everything in it belongs to the Lord and because of the finished redemptive work of Jesus everything that God has belongs to the believer; it belongs to you!

Jesus has been appointed heir of all things (Heb. 1.2) and you have been made co-heir with Jesus: “And if we are children, then we are heirs; heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ (Rom. 8.17).” Glory to God! You and I have been made joint-heir with Jesus. That means that whatever Jesus has, you have the right to have it too. It belongs to you! That is the reason why when we lack something, it is no big problem for God to get it to us: it already belongs to us. We just need to learn to take the land, to possess the land, to take our inheritance by faith: “For the promise that he would be heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law; but through the righteousness of faith ( Romans 4:13).”  “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise (Galatians 3:29).” 

If all the promises belong to us through the complete redemptive work of Jesus on the cross, then we need to claim ownership of what belongs to us. You see, all that time the older son was faithfully and loyally helping and serving his father.  At the same time, he could have enjoyed all that his father had because it belonged to him. Yet he did not enjoy them because he did not claim ownership and did not know how to receive it. So far, he had lived as the son of his father but not as the son of the boss who happened to be his father. Those who do not possess this ownership mentality will develop a poverty mentality. It will hinder them from accomplishing anything. It will paralyse their creativity, their initiativity.

Many years ago, my father who had a significantly good-size business in groceries at the night market, sent me to one of his clients to collect the payment of an invoice. When I arrived to my father’s client, he was talking to one of his clients. But as soon as he saw me he interrupted his conversation and said to his client: “This boy is very young, but his name is very big. I need to pay him right away.” At that moment, I realized for the first time that I was not just the son of my father, but I also was the son of a boss whose name was powerful among the fruit and vegetable market. I realized that I carried in my name what belonged to my father. When this man paid the invoice to me, it was as if he had paid to my father. Jesus has given us his name. His name belongs to us now. Everything he has belongs to us and the devil has been enjoying our stuff for far too long. 

Let’s develop an ownership mentality and possess our inheritance the way God intends us to. Let us learn to take hold of the promises of God. Every promise in the Bible belongs to us. Learn to live as the owner of these promises. Plant each promise in your heart. Do not let the devil steal them from you. Be ready. The Word you receive in your heart will attract persecution and tribulation. If you let the devil take hold of the promise that you plant in your heart, he will steal it from you and you will not develop an ownership mentality. You and I need to take hold of the promises, and keep them in our heart and let no devil, no circumstances, no tribulation and afflictions steal them from our heart.

Let us develop this year an “ownership mentality”. Let us shout at the face of the devil: “Devil. Take your hands off my property! I am the owner of these promises! You have no right to steal them from me! I will not give you that right. There is no weapon that is formed against me that shall prosper. God is for me, who can be against me! I rebuke you, devil, in the name of Jesus. Take your hands off!”

If you start to act this way, you will develop an ownership mentality. You will know that all those things belong to you. As you first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness “all these things are being added unto you!!!”

Be courageous. Be strong. Be bold. Laugh at the face of the devil and remind him that his days are counted and that he has no more right on what belongs to you. As you do that, you will enter in the fullness of your ownership in Christ-Jesus.