I was reading Os Hillman today, who wrote an interesting piece on the economy we find in Kingdom living. On the heels of my writing about Moses, his excuses and obedience, Hillman’s key verse is Joshua 24:13 – “So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.”
In the world of business we are taught to do whatever it takes to produce a desired outcome. Competitive forces can drive companies to go beyond the limits of ethics and integrity to achieve a desired outcome. Men and women can become work-a-holics as the need for competitive advantage is passed down the various management levels in order to meet sales and marketing goals. This sweat and toil mentality contradicts God’s Kingdom Economy.
The Kingdom Economy is found in the above verse in Joshua. When the people of Israel were coming out of Egypt, a place of sweat and toil and slavery, God was trying to teach them a new economy of receiving. Instead of sweat and toil, He wanted them to learn obedience. Now their income would be based on their obedience, not their skill or their sweat and toil.
This new Kingdom Economy meant that there would be times when what you receive from your efforts might be less than the commensurate time invested. Yet, there would also be times when you would receive more compared to your time invested.
I used to determine whether I would meet with a person based on my perceived return on that investment. I justified that behavior as being a good steward. God says we are to determine if He wants us to meet with that person or be involved with an endeavor based on His leading alone, not based on the perceived outcome. It is His responsibility to bring fruit from the activity.
This will result in a new freedom in your work life. Stay vertical with God and let Him determine your next activity.
The very next verse goes on to emphasize service – Joshua 24:14 (obedience if you will). The interesting part about this is that we are given a choice (Joshua 24:15). We can look at this Kingdom Economy and still choose to live as if we are in slavery, back in Egypt. Keith Green wrote a song 30 years ago with that same title, So You Wanna Go Back to Egypt. We conclude that the wandering Israelites are foolish for desiring the familiarity of Egypt (along with it’s slavery) rather than to embrace the next great adventure that God had in store for them. Are we that much different than them?
Joshua encouraged the people to make a choice. If it is disagreeable to follow God (like you can still weigh the pros and cons and choose not to) you still need to choose this day whom you will serve. Bob Dylan penned the words… You gotta serve somebody, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you gotta serve somebody. Let’s choose to embrace the Kingdom Economy; serve God, follow in obedience, receive His guidance, and desire the best that He has in store for us.
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