In your marriage, do you ever find yourself thinking, “This is my responsibility, and that is yours,” and trying to keep score?

Even after becoming husband and wife, we can still divide time, money, and effort into “mine” and “yours”. Without realising it, we may begin to weigh up what we have given and what we have received from one another.

Jesus said, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” When each spouse first acknowledges that they belong to God, a space opens up where they can give to one another without keeping score.

Do you ever quietly draw a line between yourself and your spouse, thinking, “They do not yet belong to God”?

When a spouse does not yet share our faith, our frustration and concern can easily turn into judgement. We may begin to divide things in our minds between “me, who believes” and “them, who does not”.

Jesus asked, “Whose image is this?” Your spouse, too, is a person created in the image of God. That image may not yet be clearly reflected in their life, but we do not have the right to judge them.

When your child argues, saying, “It’s mine!”, can you teach them the deeper truth about ownership?

Children often argue over toys or sweets, saying, “It’s mine!” Yet even as adults, we can do exactly the same thing, holding tightly to our time and possessions and saying, “They’re mine.”

Jesus held up the coin and asked, “Whose is this?” Our children, and we ourselves, are in fact God’s because we bear his image. When parents first show what it means to give what they have to God, their children learn by watching their lives.

Do you ever try to control your child’s time and choices, quietly thinking, “Things need to be done my way”?

As children grow older, parents can find themselves wanting to shape their child’s grades, career, and even faith according to their own wishes. Without realising it, we may begin to treat our children as if they were “ours”.

Jesus said, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” Our children, too, are not our possessions. They are people created in the image of God and belong to him.

Do you make plans for your time and future as though they belong entirely to you?

When we are single, the freedom we have over our time and choices can feel especially like “ours”. As a result, it can be easy to put our own plans and schedules ahead of our life of faith.

Just as the image engraved on a coin shows who it belongs to, the image of God engraved upon our lives shows whom we belong to. Even this season of freedom and time is ultimately God’s.