Several years ago, while going through a small group study on stewardship, I made the effort to memorize 1 Chronicles 29:11, which says, “All that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head over all.” As part of the study, my husband and I signed a deed acknowledging that everything we “owned,” from the house, kids and cars down to the dog, cats and Cheetos in the pantry, really belonged to God, and we were just the caretakers.

Having engaged for the first time in a study of what the Bible says about money and possessions, we felt pretty good about ourselves. However, in spite of the confidence I had in my ability to grasp this simple principle, God (as He so often does) began to reveal areas where I wasn’t honoring Him first as owner of all.

When we moved into our new home, we set aside a space to do volunteer financial counseling and we designed the layout of our living room with the intention of hosting Bible study groups. Whenever I saw a need, I would give someone a ride in the car God had entrusted to us. We were doing great at all the big stuff. It was the little things that were tripping us up.

God drove this point home to me one day as I was tossing a tube of toothpaste that was still a quarter full into the trash can. As I watched the tube fall and began to turn away, something stirred in my spirit. Suddenly, God reminded me of another scripture I had dutifully memorized yet failed to live: “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?” (Luke 16:10–12, NIV).

Those who know me best know that I love the latest and greatest. I love trying new things, whether it’s a hot new restaurant, a cool car or a toothpaste that promises to make my teeth so white you’ll need sunglasses when I smile. That quarter full tube of toothpaste still had value. By throwing it away so I could use the new stuff, I was tossing out something God had provided for me — I was being wasteful.

So I finished the tube out of the trash and finished it, down to the very last dab. And then I kept the empty, crumpled package in my bathroom drawer for more than a year as a daily reminder of what I now call “The Toothpaste Principle.” It is simply this: God wants us to squeeze every bit of goodness out of everything He blesses us with. Then, and only then, will He move us onto the next great thing.

Being a good steward means so much more than just being careful with your money. It involves living your life in a way that squeezes every bit of goodness possible from every single moment. Only then can you fully experience all of the joy God has for you and fully share the love of Christ with others.

The latest and greatest usually isn’t any better than what’s in front of us right now. Are there ways in which you’re violating The Toothpaste Principle? Ask the Holy Spirit to show you areas in which you’re throwing away some of the good stuff. Commit today to squeeze every blessing out of the life God has given you.

I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all. But whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.
~ Martin Luther