4 weeks ago I suggested there was one decision you could make…or one posture you could take…that would begin to radically reshape your life:
I will deliberately distinguish the vital few from the trivial many.
We’ve been talking about the way of essentialism: (Essentialism, Greg McKeown)
The way of essentialism is the relentless pursuit of less but better.
The way of the essentialist means living by design, not by default.
I know this has resonated with most of you (you’ve told me) because:
· you’re harried, you’re crazy busy, you are chronically anxious
I get that…but I want to remind you that living an essential life is NOT necessarily simply to slow down life, be more efficient or even have less stress!
Essentialism is about making the wisest possible investment of your time and energy in order to operate at your highest point of contribution.
· It’s choosing the vital few in order to make the biggest impact on your world.
· To live essentially is to get clarity in a world of fuzzy.
· It is to become a rifle and not a shotgun.
· It is about living a life of real meaning and clear purpose
Once you become an essentialist you become a different, better version of yourself.
This is why agape (others focused) love is so essential.
This is why evangelism is so essential.
This is why calling is so essential.
When you focus on those essential you begin to operate at your highest point of contribution in this world…
- you live with power, you shake things up, you profoundly affect others, you begin to live an extraordinary life
This is why we choose to live essentially.
Before we leave this topic there is one more essential we must understand…
Generosity
Generosity – the intentional proportional release of your material resources into the mission of God.
What makes generosity so essential? …how does it rate to be said in the same breath with evangelism, love and calling?
- Generosity is a giant slayer…it is a greed killer…it is a materialism eradicator…a selfishness obliterator…an acquisitiveness exterminator
Generosity may be one of the most powerful ways of living a essential life.
…Which is why it had such a prominent place in the most prominent sermon by the most prominent person in history…
Matthew 6:19
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. 25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Matthew 6:19-27
Jesus is talking here about one of the enemies of our soul: acquisitiveness and it’s cousins… greed, financial anxiety and materialism.
· In verse 19 he suggests that desire for stuff complicates our lives: treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
o the things we crave deteriorate over time and require more investment of time and money
· In verse 21 he states the obvious: 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
o money and the material worm their way into our hearts and souls
o acquisitiveness reverses the proper order of priority…our hearts should determine our treasure not the other way around.
· In verse 22-23 he suggests that greed can make us blind and stupid: 22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.
o we want…we look for…we find…we crave…we get blinded with desire
· In verse 24 Jesus lays it down: 24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
o greed is a god, acquisitiveness a slave master
- the desire for more breaks up families
- forces you to work ridiculous hours
- takes you away from community
o material selfishness is a monster
· Finally in Verse 25 -26 Jesus exposes greed as one of the sources of our chronic anxiety: 25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
All of this glaringly reveals the obvious:
The practice of Generosity is essential in that it breaks the power of materialism in our lives.
He summarizes it in just 7 words – in verse 20:
Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.
Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven = Invest in the heart of God
Generosity – the intentional proportional release of your material resources into the mission of God.
When I intentionally…in a premeditative way…set aside off the top, before anything is spent from my pay check a proportion or percentage to be given away into the mission of God…first and foremost to my church…
Here’s what happens:
· It forces me to live more simply
· It protect me from debt
· It breaks the power of greed
· It stimulates thanksgiving
· It decreases anxiety
· It focuses my heart of the right things
· It helps me change the world
· It enlarges my faith
Wow! Talk about essentialism! I would think you’d want piece of that action!
So assuming you do…assuming you want to start practicing the essential of generosity…where do you begin?
Let’s see where you are: Let’s look at it like a stair case… (for CG this will have to be a full screen that unveils from the bottom up)
I am extravagant with my giving.
o deep passion and desire to make a deep impact
o great joy
o significant ability…God blessed means
I am generous with my giving.
· proportional 10%
· intentional
· lifestyle
· missional – moved by the heart of God
I occasionally give.
· sudden gratitude, real sense of pity,
· sometimes sense of responsibility
· occasionally guilt
· but it isn’t pre-meditated…certainly not proportional
· usually from what’s left over at the end of the week or month
I’m give away little to nothing.
· some of you are here due to circumstances beyond your control
o this topic is for another day for you
· Some of you are here because you just haven’t thought about it it’s never been important to you.
· Some of you are here because you’ve been reckless with spending.
· Some of you are here because you are a selfish jerks.
Now that you know where you are … how do you at least get to step 3 – generosity?
1. Get it through your head that God owns it all! Not one dime is yours.
2. Get a handle on your budget – down to the penny
a. know what you are spending where and why
3. Determine to never again spend more than you make.
4. Insert a line item in your budget for giving that is equal in importance to mortgage or rent.
a. non-negotiable…off the top…
b. practically, make it electronic to help you be consistent
c. shoot for 10% and beyond
Those are the basics and once you get a handle on them you can graduate to an even higher level of generosity:
· cap your lifestyle…limit the upgrades (house, car, vacations)
o this is counter-cultural
· aim for extravagant giving
And why all this again?
The practice of Generosity is essential in that it breaks the power of materialism in our lives.
Friends, I promise you that if you practice the vital few of generosity, love, evangelism and calling you will begin operating at higher and higher levels of contribution to humanity and God’s mission.
· generosity, love, evangelism and calling are the beloved characteristics of a child of God
· generosity, love, evangelism and calling are the commitments of a world changer
· generosity, love, evangelism and calling are the seedbeds of the new you.
· practice generosity, love, evangelism and calling and you will unveil a different better version of yourself…the one you were meant to be…the one and only you…the masterpiece of God.
So once again we end with a few questions to ponder:
What must change in me so that I may practice love more fervently?
What must change in me so that I can better persuade others to follow Jesus?
What must change in me for generosity to be the new norm of my life?
What must change in me so that I begin to know and live my calling?