Extreme Balance – how hard should we work?

(this post will make more sense if you read Extreme Balance first)

I have often reflected on the relationship between God’s provision and our effort.

In the Lord prayer, the phrase ‘give us this day our daily bread’ is a reference to the mana that God provided for the Israelite’s to eat in the wilderness. It was given – on the day – for the day, if the Israelite’s took more than they needed it rotted – it was ‘this day’s daily bread’. It was the supernatural provision of food. God said that he did this to ‘humble them so that they would learn that man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God’.

We were created by the word of God and are sustained by what He continues to speak over us.

Jesus said ‘Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For … your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.’

’Every good and perfect gift is from above…’

Paul said ‘my God shall supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus’

Truth 1 – If we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness all our needs will be met.

Do we need to work at all if God is going to supply all our needs?

The bible also says ‘if you don’t work you don’t eat’ this implies that that what we eat comes from our labours – there was to be no eating for the lazy.

Adam was placed in the garden to ‘work it and keep it’

And then there is the parable that Jesus gave of the talents (a talent is a lot of money, maybe a million dollars). The master (God) gave three of his servants 5, 2 and 1 million dollars according to their ability and then went away. When he returned the servants given 5 and 2 million dollars had doubled their money and the master was pleased and said he would give them more. The one with one million dollars had hidden it because he was afraid of the master and gave it back to him without increase. The master was furious and took the million dollars off him and gave it to the servant with 10 million.

Paul said, ‘But if anyone does not provide for his own family, especially for his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.’

Truth 2 – God wants us to be industrious and productive and provide for ourselves and those around us.

Obviously these two truths need balancing

I propose that extreme balance is required, we need to believe and embrace both to their extreme not limiting one by the other but letting them both have full expression.

I propose that the truly balanced view is that who we are and what we achieve is 100% due to Gods provision and the Words that He continues to speak over us

and

I propose that who we are and what we achieve is 100% due to our industry and effort

When we have an intimate relationship with God our lives are multiplied with His (see ‘The Power of Zero …’) and

Our 100% x His 100% = 100% of who we are and what we achieve

You might think, well why do I need God then – I can just work hard and get the same result

The parable of the talents answers this, the most gifted servant would have worked hard and only achieved his wages if the master hadn’t given him 5 million to invest. His 100% with the masters 100% was very different to his 100% without the master.

In my experience when I believe it’s entirely up to me:

I work too hard

I become anxious

My family suffers

My relationships suffer

It’s all mine

I become proud

The future looks uncertain and

I hold onto things too tightly

When I think it’s all God and nothing is required from me:

I give back to God exactly what He gave me, and nobody is happy!

When I live in extreme balance:

All my labour is ‘unto the Lord’

My family flourishes

I am not alone

I am confident and even courageous

I take responsibility but not ownership

I expect solutions to unsolvable problems

I hold things lightly and don’t suffocate them

I have concern and not anxiety

I know when I have enough and don’t always need more

I give

I’m thankful

I take pride but am not proud

Failures are not fatal because ‘all things work together for good…’

I work hard but not to exhaustion

I achieve things beyond anything I could have imagined and

I see the big picture because I seek first His kingdom and His righteousness

–

live abundantly!