Nanami Shiono, a Japanese author and novelist known for her work titled “The Story of Romans,” stated that one of the main reasons why the Roman Empire fell even though it was so powerful was that the Romans defended their country by hiring soldiers mostly from other countries. Since the soldiers were not defending their own country, they were lacking in the sense of belonging and of duty, so they neglected which made them neglect their defense responsibilities.
During the Japanese colonial period, Ahn Chang-ho, a Korean independence activist, mentioned the difference between an owner and a stranger. He said, “The house which is not under the custody and control of its owner will collapse someday.” Saying this, he emphasized the spirit of ownership which the people of a country should have as masters of the country.
A master and a stranger are in totally different positions, even though they stay in the same house. The stranger just stays there temporarily, but the owner should take responsibility for everything about the house and manage it.
God has given us a priceless inheritance—the inheritance of the beautiful and glorious kingdom of heaven. When we have the mindset of a master, we can keep the heavenly inheritance given to us. Without the spirit of ownership, we may feel easily exhausted from doing even small things and get caught up in a backlog of complaints, and finally we will end up giving up on the kingdom of heaven or being deprived of our heavenly inheritance by those who force their way into it.
To a master, everything that occurs in the house is “my own work.” We should prepare ourselves for the kingdom of heaven, instead of expecting someone else to do it for us. As the true masters of the heavenly kingdom, let us take the lead in the gospel work with joy and gratitude for the eternal kingdom of heaven, where we will live with our Heavenly Father and Mother as well as with our loving heavenly brothers and sisters forever and ever.
Although others do not work, let us work faithfully without complaining. When we work with the mindset of an owner, we can work with joy and ease. 6th Teaching of Mother