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Best-selling author John Maxwell spoke to a crowd of several hundred area business leaders at Columbia International University last week. His topic was “God’s Perspective on Possessions.” The leadership seminar was hosted by the CIU School of Business and Professional Studies.

Using the example of the Good Samaritan from Luke 10, Dr. Maxwell stressed the difference between successful leaders and others is “how you view things is how you do things and what you see is who you’ll be.”

He then shared 4 specifics on how we view our worldly possessions.

1. Robber Mentality - “This mentality says ‘what’s yours is mine, and I’m gonna take it.’ It’s the entitlement mentality that is pervasive in our society today.”

2. Selfish Mentality - “This is the mindset that is represented by the Priest and the Levite. It says ‘what’s mine is mine and I’m gonna keep it.’ It doesn’t understand that everything we have is a gift from God and that the gift is much bigger than we are.

“God gives the gifts and He can take them away at anytime. No matter how gifted and smart we are, we need to understand we are all ‘just one step away from stupid.’”

3. Good Samaritan - “This mindset is that ‘what is mine is yours and I’m going to give it to you.’ This person understands that we were created to add-value to life. We were created to be our brother’s keeper and that we will not be happy any other way.”

4. The Manager - Though the parable of the Good Samaritan ends there, Maxwell shared that there is a 4th view of possessions – that of the Manager who understands that ‘what is mine is not mine and I’m just called to manage it.’

In God’s economy, I’m just a delivery boy running God’s delivery service. If He gives me something then I need to understand that it might not always be for me.”

“Do your giving while you’re living, so you know where it’s going. Then call it what it is: “Earned Retirement Income.”