Peter Drucker was one of my mentors. He taught that, “Every person desires to be part of something bigger than themselves.”

Mr. Drucker is right, 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 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 lifestyle.

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 this 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 will 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 that 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 way we participate with Him in engagements that are larger than we are and than our lives are.

We should not shy from discussing our response, our giving, and our duty. 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!

Investing (unabridged)