Not My Own

Letting go of the keys — and finding rest in the One who now calls it home.

Devotional Credit: Days of Heaven by A.B. Simpson
Photo Credit: Unsplash

Today’s reflection by A.B. Simpson turns our eyes from the exhausting burden of self-responsibility to the restful reality of belonging wholly to God. The verse from 1 Corinthians reminds us that we are not our own — we are vessels, temples indwelt by the very Spirit of God. This truth is not a loss, but a gift.

Simpson gently reminds us that surrender is not a transaction of duty but an exchange of weakness for fullness, fear for security, and striving for rest. Consecration—giving ourselves completely to God—is not an act of desperation but a confident entrustment into the hands of a Father who cherishes us far more than we can comprehend.

We do not surrender to be abandoned; we surrender because we are already accepted. We yield not to lose ourselves but to be held, transformed, and cared for in a way we could never manage on our own. In saying “I am not my own,” we are not forfeiting joy, but stepping into it. We are laying down burdens we were never meant to carry and receiving rest in the arms of Him who calls us His beloved possession.

Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit

You are Mine. You do not belong to the world or to your past or to your performance. You do not belong to your failures, your fears, or your fragile sense of self. You are not your own—you have been bought with a price. I dwell within you, not as a guest but as the very Life that sustains you.

Let this truth settle your heart: I am responsible for you now. I carry what you once carried alone. You don’t need to keep watch over your salvation as if it were in your hands—it rests secure in Mine. Your cares no longer belong to you; they are Mine to carry.

You are not required to manage yourself, defend yourself, or improve yourself by your own effort. All that is Mine is now yours—love that keeps you, grace that sustains you, peace that anchors you. You are My temple, My treasure, and My dwelling. The moment you yield to Me is the moment I flow freely through you.

Give Me everything—and I will give you more than you ever thought possible: Myself.

Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 6:19, Galatians 2:20, 1 Peter 5:7, Romans 8:9, 1 Corinthians 3:16

Real-Life Analogy

It’s like handing over the keys of a house you’ve been trying to repair on your own. The plumbing leaks, the wiring is unsafe, and the foundation cracks deeper each day. Yet the Master Builder has offered to take ownership—not just to fix it, but to live in it, care for it, and transform it. All He asks is that you stop clutching the keys.

Prayer of Confidence

Father, I rejoice that I am not my own. What a relief to belong to You. I rest in the reality that You have taken full responsibility for my life, my growth, my security, and my future. You are not a distant Owner, but an abiding Presence within me.

Thank You for exchanging my anxiety for Your peace, my effort for Your indwelling life. I yield every corner of myself to You—not as an act of fear, but as a celebration of love. I trust You to care for what is Yours. And I am Yours.