Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. You count far more to him than birds. (Matthew 6:26)
Walk into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They don’t fuss with their appearance, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. If God gives such attention to the wildflowers, most of them never even seen, don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, and do his best for you? (Luke 12:25-28)
It can be difficult to give things away. Try negotiating strokes in a match with a lower or higher handicapper. Each side fights to get all he can to gain the advantage so that he can win.
Much of life is about getting, gathering, and gaining. We often measure our self-worth by what we have, how much of it we have, and how quickly we get it!
When I lived in Los Angeles and worked in the entertainment industry, referrals were hard to come by. People were so concerned with getting their “big break” that they wouldn’t share a contact that might help someone else.
Often, we are so greedy for opportunity that we assume that someone else’s success might take away from our own.
Jesus says that to discover abundant life in our limited time on earth, we must give things away to God and others. Giving things away is easier if it doesn’t cost us anything. But try giving to someone when it disadvantages you.
It’s then that internal war begins—what are you asking of me, God? It’s like negotiating strokes in a golf match. Wait, hold on, how many strokes do you want?
Common sense is never more in play than when it comes to sharing friendships or business contacts or giving away material goods, money, or time. After all, we have to protect our own interests, right? We must build our network of opportunity, balance budgets, save for retirement, and maintain a certain standard of living. It simply makes good sense.
Jesus operates in a different economy. From a worldly perspective, the Jesus-life involves way too much risk, sacrifice, and opportunity cost. It’s an open-handed life that gives to all who are in need spiritually, emotionally, and materially.
Jesus’ economy considers the birds of the air and the flowers of the field who are never conscious of daily survival or their outward impression or appearance. They are both free and beautiful and aren’t even aware of it!
They move by the rhythms of nature, playing their role and peacefully abiding in God’s created order while singing and awing onlookers with their brilliance.
Try this as an experiment. Be impulsive for a day. Ask the Holy Spirit in the morning to show you what to give away during your waking hours. Walk around open-handed. And when you’re hit with the impulse to give time or resources in any way, no matter how much or how little you’re compelled to give, do it before you think twice.
As Jesus said, “Don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” Just give it away, whatever IT is. Give every bit of it away without reservation, right there and right then.
In doing so, you’ll live unfettered and free like the birds of the air, and you will be as beautiful as the flowers of the field. Can’t you see that God cares for the birds and the flowers?
Finally, you’ll be like the golfer who could care less about strokes and the win and more about the person he has the privilege of spending the next four hours with on the golf course.
Prayer: This day, Lord. Please help me to be available to others today.