Extravagant Generosity

Extravagant generosity is a bold declaration of your faith and trust in God’s faithfulness and trustworthiness. 

God is a God of extravagance. The first miracle John records in his Gospel is Jesus creating 180 gallons of new wine – more wine than the wedding crowd can consume. The last miracle John records is 153 fish jumping into the disciples’ net as he waited for them on the shores of the Sea of Galilee after his resurrection. This was the same place where Jesus fed five thousand hungry people with a little boy’s lunch of five loaves and two fishes. The most extravagant act of generosity is Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross so that through faith we could have eternal life and enter God’s Kingdom. 

Living with extravagant generosity isn’t easy, particularly in workplace’s characterized by scarcity where we are expected to do more with less.  Extravagant generosity is only possible when we shift our focus from scarcity to God’s abundance. God is present in your workplace, and wherever God is present, there is abundance. 

Extravagant generosity in your workplace comes from focusing on God’s character. 

Extravagant generosity in your workplace is a living demonstration of God’s love. 

Extravagant generosity in your workplace is only possible because of God’s blessings on your life. 

Extravagant generosity in your workplace flows from a heart of thanksgiving. 

Extravagant generosity in the workplace can be demonstrated in a simple act of quietly listening without judgment. Generosity may be expressed by speaking a kind or gracious word to a co-worker, or by exercising patience with a colleague or customer. Extravagant generosity can be demonstrated by sharing the load of an overworked colleague or taking the time to show a colleague a better way to do their work. To be extravagantly generous may require walking a mile in a coworkers’ shoes to understand them. Sometimes extravagant generosity requires sacrifices. 

There will be people who will question you or ridicule you for your generosity in the workplace. There will be people who will take advantage of your generosity. These actions and words hurt but they don’t define who you are. You are God’s beloved child. 

Acts of extravagant generosity in your workplace that flow from a pure heart and clean hands are acts of worship to God that rise like a sweet-smelling fragrance through your workplace to the throne room of heaven.

The Good Shepherd

Jesus is the good Shepherd. Jesus knows his sheep. You are one of his sheep if you believe that Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus has given you eternal life. The death and resurrection of Jesus is your hope that nobody, not even Satan can snatch you away from Jesus hand. When you follow Jesus, you never walk in the darkness, for Jesus the light of the world, lights your path.

Jesus knows your joys. Jesus knows your fears. Jesus knows when you aren’t certain about your job, or wondering how you will pay the bills, or what tomorrow will bring. Jesus is your light and your salvation therefore you never have anything to fear in any circumstance (Ps 27:1). 

Jesus hears you in your lament. You can come to Jesus and bare your soul with complete honesty. Jesus will not shame you or condemn you. Jesus understands your sorrow. Jesus weeps with you because he loves you. Jesus hates the pain sin inflicts on your life more than anybody else does. In the middle of pain, sorrow, and exhaustion you don’t have to fully grasp the incomprehensible nature of God. All you need to know is that Jesus is your Shepherd, that Jesus knows you, and loves you so much that he sacrificed his life for you so that you no longer need to carry the burden of sin. 

When you trust Jesus in the midst of your fear; when you pour out your lament at Jesus feet; if you will listen; if you will trust; then you will see God do great and mighty things out of his love for you so that his name will be glorified (John 11:4-5) and your faith strengthened (John 11:14). 

While we know these truths, when fear starts whispering into our ears, we can easily forget these truths. Jesus doesn't condemn us when we lament or when fear overwhelms us and when we forget who He is or can’t comprehend what is happening. In those times, Jesus, our Shepherd continues to call our name, Jesus speaks to us and reminds us that he is the light for our paths, and that he is the Resurrection and the Life. 

Even in the darkest of places, filled with fear, uncertainty and doubt about today and tomorrow; in those times where when you don’t fully understand what is happening in your workplace or in the world around you, hear our Shepherd say again to you, “I am the light of the world.” Listen to our Shepherd’s voice, and follow him, and you will see our Shepherd perform great and mighty deeds. 

The Death of Lazarus

Jesus had just finished telling his disciples that he was the good Shepherd, and that no one could snatch them out of his Father’s hand (John 10:27-30). Then the disciples heard that Lazarus was dying and they were afraid to go with Jesus to Judea because the Jews were threatening to kill them. Full of grace and knowing their hearts, Jesus reminded them that he is the light of the world, and as along as they walk with him, they are safe (John 11:9-10). Not fully convinced, not fully understanding what was happening, but with just enough faith, they went with Jesus to Judea (John 11:16). 

As Jesus approaches Judea, Martha comes running out to him, and in lament bares her soul to Jesus. In the midst of the pain, sorrow, and exhaustion from the past few days watching her brother die and be buried, she hears her Shepherd remind her that he is the Resurrection and the Life. 

Mary stays back at the house. Jesus sees her sorrow and hears her lament from a far and calls for her by name to come to him. As she comes and pours out her heart, Jesus weeps with her. Jesus weeps because he loves her. Jesus weeps because he is emotionally connected with his creation. Jesus weeps in anger because of the pain that death and the devil has caused. 

Just as Mary and Martha heard their Shepherd’s voice. Lazarus also heard his Shepherds voice. Although Satan tried to snatch Lazarus out of Jesus’ hands; Death couldn’t keep Lazarus away from his Shepherd. Calling Lazarus out of his tomb Jesus demonstrated that he is both the hope for resurrection at the last day and the source of life itself from now to eternity for those who believe in him. Jesus proved once and for all that he is the source of the permanence of your unique identity which nobody, not even death can destroy. 

Because the disciples took their fear to Jesus and walked in the light of their Shepherd; because Martha poured out her lament to Jesus; because Mary heard her Shepherd call her name and came to him; because they were obedient; their mourning was turned into joy, their fears were turned into hope and they saw the incomparable power of their Lord. 

When you come to your Shepherd with your fears and follow the light He casts on your path you will experience God's incomparable power and unmeasurable love. 

When you come to your Shepherd lamenting the pain, sorrow and exhaustion of your life, you won’t be condemned or shamed. Instead you will experience God's incomparable power and unmeasurable love.

Fear of God

St. Augustine says that true wisdom is the fear of God. Ecclesiastes echoes this idea throughout the entire book, always coming back to the need to fear God. Yet what is fear of God? If God loves the world so much that He sent His only son, then what does it mean to fear Him? Throughout the Old Testament there is imagery of people trembling in fear before the awesome power and majestic holiness of God. The idea of fearing the Lord is also echoed in the New Testament as well. Yet today the idea of fearing God is rarely talked about in church, and when it is no one really knows what it means to fear God, or even how to do it. 

Yet this idea is mentioned in the Bible, both what it means to fear God,and even how to do so. The reason to fear is God is found throughout the Bible,but for this we will look in Ecclesiastes and in Luke. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 states "Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey His commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad." These verses give the impression that we should fear God for He judges us for everything that we do, including everything that we do in secret, both good and bad. But is this idea just found in the Old Testament, or does Jesus also reinforce this idea in the New? Well,in Luke 12:4-5 He does in fact support this view when He says “Dear friends,don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they can’t do any more to you after that. But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and throw you into hell. Yes, He’s the one to fear.” See, Jesus also believes that we should fear God for He has the power of judgement over us, the ability to kill and destroy us forever, by throwing us into hell.

This is how we should fear God. To fear Him in the sense that He has the power of judgement over us and sees everything that we do. When you live in such a way that you are aware of this knowledge then you are living in fear of Him. It is said in Psalm 111:10 that "the fear of the LORD is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey His commandments will grow in wisdom." In living in the knowledge and fear of God’s power, we are doing as the Psalmist says and fearing God in order to find true wisdom and obey His commandments. 

Yet, there is something more you must keep in mind. Something very important as followers of Christ for us to remember. In Luke 12:6-7 Jesus tells us “What is the price of five sparrows-two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered.So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.” Here He is telling us that we do not have to be afraid of God.Yet how are we supposed to reason this with the aforementioned fear of God? Does it mean that we should not fear God? What is the deal with this apparent contradiction? 

Nothing! Jesus is not contradicting Himself here, in fact He makes perfect sense. He says that you should fear God because He has the power to destroy you forever. Not that He will. Yes, if you do not believe then that is what to expect, but if you turn to John 15:12-14 you will find that Jesus supports not needing to fear when He says “This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.” When compared to Luke, you will find that Jesus is stating that you need not be afraid of being cast into hell for all eternity, for Jesus laid His life down for His friends, and His friends are those who follow what He commands. Therefore, as follows of Christ who follow His commandments we have nothing to fear from God. As 1 John 4:18 says "such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment,and this shows that we have not fully experienced His perfect love." Yet we must always keep His power of judgement in mind and live in fear and awareness of it, complemented by our belief in Christ. Only then will we be able to find true wisdom.

Pursuing Success

Success and excellence in your career are opportunities to pursue righteousness or opportunities to pursue narcissism. There is no middle ground.

In your pursuit of success you can either choose to follow the path of piety or the path of self-centeredness. Both paths will take you through seasons of abundance and seasons of struggle. You will encounter family crises and health issues no matter which path you follow. Along both paths you will meet loving, caring people who will walk beside you and cheer you on. Along both paths you will encounter people who will be jealous of you, who will malign your character, or who will do whatever they can to destroy you. But, these paths lead to opposite destinations.

When you choose the path of righteousness, God makes you alive in Christ and seats you in the heavenly realms with Christ. Choosing to pursue righteousness is choosing to anchor your life in the same mighty power of God that raised Christ Jesus from the dead and seated him at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

Choosing to pursue righteousness is a choice that enables you to experience God’s great love, mercy and grace. Choosing the path of righteousness is choosing to believe in God’s promises. God has promised blessing for curse; fullness for emptiness; Eden for wilderness.

God is the one who takes the unproductive and make its fertile, God is the one who brings order out of chaos. God is the one who takes waste and turns it into abundance and riches. God is the one who enables you to be successful.

Abraham’s story 

God took Abraham, one man, called him, blessed and made him into a great nation (Isa 51:2). 

Abraham’s life was like many of ours. He had moments of close intimate fellowship with God. In the years between those moments Abraham continued day in day out with the normal routine of life. He survived famine. Twice he feared for his life, afraid that he would be killed by foreign kings who found his wife Sarah attractive. He knew family strife, and the heartache of a wayward child. He faithfully trusted God for 25 years before God fulfilled his promise of a child. He dealt with jealous people who tried to steal his property. He went to battle to save his nephew. He lived alone for 38 years after his wife died when he was 137 years old. He pursued success in everything he did, accumulating great wealth and hundreds of servants. He was well respected as a successful leader and well known where he lived. 

Yet Abraham isn’t remembered for his success or his wealth or his leadership. Abraham is remembered for his righteousness (Gen 15:6). Abraham lived his life in such a way that God is acknowledged as the source of his success. God did the impossible and made Abraham to be a blessing for all nations (Gen 18:18). 

Consider how amazingly powerful God’s strength is that He could create a vast people out of nothing. If God could create a great nation from Abraham and Sarah, a barren couple past the age of child bearing, what could God do through your life? 

Pursuing Success while glorifying God! 

Choosing to trust God for his blessings on your work, your business and your career is a choice to glorify God with the outcomes of your efforts. This sets you free from comparing yourself to others and from shame when you stumble or fail. Choosing to trust God, gives you the courage to step out and do the next task that needs to be done, even when it seems foreign, uncomfortable or scary because you know that God will be glorified by your obedience. 

When you acknowledge what God is doing in your life, God’s light shines in the world around you. The choice to acknowledge God as the source of your blessings, is the choice to be free from all the things of this world that could enslave you (money, people, possessions, fame), and to enter into true freedom as God’s child. 

Pursuing Success and Pursuing righteousness 

Choosing to acknowledge God as the source of your success before you start each day, is a choice to walk down the path of righteousness. 

To be a pursuer of righteousness, you need to listen to God as you strive for success. This means you don’t listen to yourself or try to justify yourself before God. The only righteousness that you can ever produce in your life is that which is gifted to you from God. 

During those seasons of life when you experience success remain steadfastly committed to follow what is right and to hear God’s voice. During those seasons of life, or moments when everything seems to be conspiring against you continue to practice God’s righteousness and listen to God’s voice. 

In your pursuit of success don’t be slow to hear God’s voice. When life settles into a predictable routine don’t impatiently reject God, rather earnestly seek God to enlarge and sustain your heart. 

Choosing the path of righteousness while pursuing success and excellence in your career can be a platform for you to glorify God for blessing you and making you a blessing to those around you. 

“Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness 

     and who seek the Lord: 

Look to the rock from which you were cut 

     and to the quarry from which you were hewn; 

look to Abraham, your father, 

     and to Sarah, who gave you birth. 

When I called him he was only one man, 

     and I blessed him and made him many. 

The Lord will surely comfort Zion 

     and will look with compassion on all her ruins; 

he will make her deserts like Eden, 

     her wastelands like the garden of the Lord. 

Joy and gladness will be found in her, 

     thanksgiving and the sound of singing. (Isa 51:1-3)