Are you familiar with the statement by Peter Drucker, “Every person desires to be part of something bigger than himself?”
Drucker is right. The same idea is also captured in the famous statement by William Wallace in the movie, “Braveheart:” “Every man dies, not every man lives.”
But not all of us are aware this is the case. We know folks—perhaps even ourselves—who have missed this self-awareness and languish in the dim twilight of self-centeredness, a terrible waste of the potential infused into our souls by our Creator.
In fretting over whether or not God is truly capable—and so inclined—of meeting our needs, we buy into the notion that we must assume this responsibility upon our own shoulders. In so doing, we bury our heart’s desire under the refuse and well-intentioned refurbishment of our own effort and live focused upon ourselves.
One of the great challenges we have—including you—at Lifetime is understanding how to manage the investment God has made in us. He has not simply blessed us a little bit and left the majority of His wealth parked in other accounts. On the contrary! He “…has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3).
Every blessing that is Christ’s is ours as well. We are as a matter of fact, “joint heirs” with Christ to the fortune of God. Don’t even think for a moment this “fortune” has to do with financial wealth or capital holdings. God has far more in His heart toward us than financing a cushy lifestyle weigh-station earth.
His blessing is synonymous with His heart’s desire. His blessing is the great overture stemming from His heart to draw us close, to pull us to Himself, to share His heritage with us, to make us part of His family, to enter into a new and irrevocable covenant with us. In Christ, God’s heart is personified. In Christ, God’s grace is embodied. In Christ, God’s desire for closeness with us is incarnate. In Christ, God tore down all that separated us from Him philosophically, practically, and personally in the personification of His heart toward us personified in Christ.
What do you do with an investment of that magnitude? How do you manage it? How do you value it? I think the answer lies first in recognizing it for what it is: a grand initiative by God that is so far beyond our thinking and ability to grasp that we acknowledge our humility and appreciation to Him for including us in His wishes.
Second, I think we tell Him that we would not presume to manage His heart nor the wealth of His fortune for Him. After all, if He gained it, He probably has a pretty clear idea of what He wants to do with it. Our part is simply to participate in His endeavor because He wants us to share in what He is doing.
Third, I think we must recognize: The blessing He has bestowed upon us is much, much larger than we are. Therefore, He must intend for us to bless others as He has blessed us. In this grace-filled fashion we participate with Him in engagements that are larger than we are and than our lives are.
At LGI we make every effort to convey varying aspects of Father’s blessing upon us—with varying degrees of success, no doubt. Nevertheless, we are blessed at LGI, and I don’t mean just the office staff. You are as well!
Given this conviction, we have structured the ministry such that 100% of every dollar you contribute to LGI goes back out the door in ministry. In this way, through your giving, you engage in something larger than yourself and fulfill part of your heart’s desire. So, lifetime.org, the Bulgarian outreach (now in its second phase), the conferences, the audio materials (soon to be completely digital), the myriad phone conversations, the online prayer community, and the written resources are all integrally linked to your recognition that Father has blessed you way beyond anything you can comprehend. And as a result, you are giving back. Of course, the reality is, as you give, Father reinvests in your heart and you are fulfilled to be part of something way beyond yourself. Cool plan He cooked up, huh? (Ref. also, Gal. 6:6.)
Would you consider the enclosed response card? Would you consider the magnitude of the blessing invested in you by your Father? And now, would you consider how Father might ask you to engage beyond just yourself, perhaps with money, perhaps with prayer, perhaps with encouragement, perhaps….
You get the idea. Bless you, my friend!
PS Often those of us involved in ”grace ministries” shy from discussing our response, our giving, and our duty. We must not! The Scripture talks frequently about our involvement in what God has going on. The trick is this: We do not ”do” in order to make God happy with us. We ”do” because it is in our new heart to do so!
