Here are a few questions to get us started:
For example, consider renting a house.
When you move out is the property better than when you found it so the next tenant can enjoy the increased quality of life? Or is that the landlord’s responsibility?
Any time you have that feeling of “that’s not my responsibility” you should stop and consider that situation more closely. I would argue that it is your responsibility within the authority/ability you have available.
Sometimes we see problems and wish we could do something but you do not have permission to do anything. So you can’t. And you shouldn’t. But you can grieve and pray.
The Bible has a fair amount of teaching and instructing on how we are to engage with the earth itself.
There are times and seasons that set certain things in motion. These markers are in the heavens. We use these to set our schedules for when we are to work, when we are to rest, and when we are to come face-to-face with Abba Himself.
There are also the rains that fall from the sky. There’s the temperature regulation of cloud cover. And the serene beauty of snow falling from the sky.
These are the things above.
We are also to understand the agricultural world because this is representative of how life actually works. It’s what happens below ground that brings life to the surface. A poorly managed field does not allow Abba to fully work the miracle process. Seeds are starved of water and nutrition, the birds and heat then steal what does manage to reach the surface, or rocks prevent roots from spreading out easily. From what survives, if you ignore what does surface by not pruning or removing pests, the yield will be very small: sour fruit, tasteless vegetables, and no food for you or your livestock during the cold winter season.
These are the things below.
You will have various properties and possessions throughout your lifetime. This could be livestock, jewels, houses, businesses, etc.
This is the fruit of life. This all exists as a result of that which is above and that which is below coming together in harmonic unison. Whether we pay attention or ignore what is above and what is below makes no difference. The seeking out of fruit will most certainly drive every decision you make throughout your life.
You will strive, you will labor, and you will die trying to grab as many things as you can throughout your life. You will sacrifice relationships, throw away time, and manipulate people (and God) in order for you to build a life worth coveting.
With our mouths we claim this to not be true, but with our lives we give perfect testimony to this being the ultimate reality of our existence.
We must change our focus from what we think we want now to what we actually want later.
We must leave an inheritance in the earth. To do that, we must be a good steward of what you’ve been given and make sure the generations after you have an increased quality of life because of your faithful sowing of these resources.
Before you go on thinking it is impossible for you to lay down your selfishness, look no further than our Messiah for inspiration and guidance.
Matthew 4:3 The Tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, order these stones to become bread.” 4 But he answered, “The Tanakh says, ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of YHVH’”
Stones stand the test of time. Bread is either consumed or rots within a short period of time. The Adversary will inevitably convince you to take something that stands for all of time and convert it into something to consume. He wants you to consider what you don’t have over what you do.
But homes are built with stones. Walls are built with stones. New Jerusalem will be built with stones, not bread. Learn to build with stones instead of laboring to consume bread.
Our brother Paul describes this beautifully:
1 Corinthians 3:8 … However, each will be rewarded according to his work. 9 For we are God’s co-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. 10 Using the grace God gave me, I laid a foundation, like a skilled master-builder; and another man is building on it. But let each one be careful how he builds. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Yeshua the Messiah. 12 Some will use gold, silver or precious stones in building on this foundation; while others will use wood, grass or straw. 13 But each one’s work will be shown for what it is; the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire — the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. 14 If the work someone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward; 15 if it is burned up, he will have to bear the loss: he will still escape with his life, but it will be like escaping through a fire.
So what’s going into your wall? What is it when we are to do the work of Yah? What work did He do?
He created.
Go read Psalm 19. We see clearly that the earth, the things in it, and the things surrounding it are the evidence of what He did -- and it stands for all of time.
So it makes sense that since we were made in the image of Yah, we are to create in a similar manner. The evidence of our presence is in our creation and it should stand for all of time.
So does it?
The work you do, does it have eternal value?
Now this isn’t a hand-waving justification of your career choice but a true inspection of what you do (and have done) here on earth.
Will people one day look at creation and see your work within it? Or will it all be burned before your very eyes?
There are some wealthy people who are very good at leaving physical space better than before. They perhaps add a wing to the local hospital, commission art for the community, or finance a museum for all to enjoy. Now they often do it to bring recognition to their name and the purpose is to immortalize themselves because they can afford to do so.
But that isn’t the point, is it? It’s never been about building a name for ourselves.
We, of course, may not have the resources to build up our own name in the earth to this magnitude so we feel somehow protected from this selfish display. But are we really immune?
Consider the Name you have been tasked with building. Every soul walking the earth has the resources to build up Abba’s Name.
So do you?
Is your work full of faithful excellence?
Can we see you in creation?
Or should we all expect to watch it go up in flames on the Day of Judgment?
Now that covers (-ish) your physical legacy. Let’s pivot into the thing we ignore until it tends to become way too late: relationships.
Think about everyone you know or have known throughout your life. Consider even the stranger among you. Think about people, in general.
Do you leave people better than you found them?
How do you go about lifting up people from the state they occupy?
How do you honestly serve everyone you encounter?
Now think about those few people that really built you up at certain times in your life.
How did you feel when they lifted you up?
How often do you want to be around people that elevate your state?
How many people do you know that always make you feel better than you were?
And you?
How many people want to be around you?
What do people think when they consider you?
Which type of person are you?
Are you one we immediately forget?
Are you one we hope to forget?
Or are you someone every person wants to have around? Not because you are a people-pleaser, but because you are a true servant?
How do we become this type of person?
Think about how complicated your relationships are. How are you supposed to engage with:
Your spouse?
Your children?
Your parents?
Your brother?
The orphan and widow?
The poor?
Servants?
Strangers?
Rulers?
Creditor?
Debtor?
Abba knew we would contend with these all so He gave us a guidebook for navigating it.
Look carefully at His instructions regarding each and every relationship you have. Do you have the wisdom to extract the common theme?
We must leave an inheritance in the earth. It is absolutely critical that you build up others and serve them all.
Consider now the Messiah Himself.
Authority inevitably concerns other people and one’s relationship to those people. Without people to control, there is no authority among men.
And that Serpent of Old knew it.
Matthew 4:8 Once more, the Adversary took him up to the summit of a very high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world in all their glory, 9 and said to him, “All this I will give you if you will bow down and worship me.” 10 “Away with you, Satan!” Yeshua told him, “For the Tanakh says, ‘Worship Adonai your God, and serve only him.’”
Notice that the Adversary is willing to give Yeshua the top of the authoritative ladder. Instead of being the servant of all, all would become servants to Him. He would be able to rule man with the power given to man. All He had to do was bend to the world’s system and operate in such a way as to have men forcefully follow Him.
But Yeshua knew better.
True authority does not come through force. True authority only exists within people that volunteer to have you look over them. They trust you because they know you will lay down your life on your behalf if push comes to shove.
Abba needs a volunteer army. The volunteers are there because they want to be there and they believe their leader is doing absolutely everything for the follower’s benefit, not the leader’s.
It’s all about trust.
Leadership is based on trust. Without it, sedition brews quietly in the background. That is then followed by rebellion.
And that’s the world we live in.
Our relational legacy requires we become a servant of all. Perhaps this is why so few consider this to be important. But without an understanding of us relative to others, it will be impossible to understand us relative to us.
Now we reach the point of considering the person that stares back at us in the mirror. Here we find the most painful reality of all. We can lie and mislead others masterfully but beyond the smokescreen, we know for certain who we are.
Or do we?
It seems that there are two versions of ourselves in existence. One is who we are, and the other is who we are called to be.
For the first, we make excuses or hide in shame when we look into the eyes of the Messiah.
For the other, we fear becoming a true follower because we realize all of our striving becomes futile.
Our identity is such a hotly contested arena. We think we know what we want but we really don’t. We do whatever we can to get the things we want but that inevitably leaves a path of destruction in our wake. And there we sit, wondering why life is so hard and people are so evil.
We think we know exactly who we are and then a time comes where we have to face the real us. And crisis ensues.
So what can we do?
Let’s start with a few simple questions:
Do you leave yourself better than you were?
What do you do behind closed doors?
What do you do in order to grow?
How do you measure your own growth?
Where exactly are you going and why?
We are all on a journey and the path we choose makes all the difference in our life. The wide path has the illusion of being easier in the short term but it is catastrophic in the long term. Don’t believe me? Just ask all of the other people that are on this path with you. How is their life? How do they view humanity?
It’s the narrow path we seek. It’s not crowded and therefore lonely. So when you need to turn and ask the person beside you for guidance and no one is there, you know you have found the correct path. Elijah felt this way but Abba reassured him there were 7000 more. Know there will always be a remnant.
So how are you to engage with yourself?
We are given an intimate set of instructions by our Creator on how to be exactly who we were created to be. While these may seem obscure from an identity perspective, I assure you these describe fully your entire being:
Sabbath (Shabbat)
A weekly appointment with your Creator that allows you to rest in His presence. You are not a slave so you have permission to take this day whether the world allows it or not.
Feasts (Moedim)
The spring and fall feasts are times for us to experience Abba’s plan for all of man. In the spring, we recognize the details that describe Yeshua’s first coming. This is where individual salvation is made clear. In the fall, we get to look forward to His coming again. This is where collective salvation is made clear -- this is the Bride.
Dietary Commands
This is how we keep our physical bodies clear of waste. Our bodies are literal temples and unclean things must remain outside.
Idolatry
Stop going after the false gods of this world. Anytime you look for favor or protection from anyone (or anything) other than God, you are entering into idolatry. Study this deeply.
Priesthood (Kohanim)
This is our calling. We are to be priests of the Order of Malki-Tzedek and it is up to us to show the world how to interact with the Creator.
Sacrifice
Learn to sacrifice the best of what you have. Even deeper than that, you are to watch this sacrifice go up in smoke, all the while reminded that it should be your own flesh that is consumed. Once you understand this, you will finally become aware of what exactly you are entitled to -- death.
Tithes
Giving back to Abba what belongs to Him is not an act of benevolence. This is not giving in the sense of surrendering something that belongs to you. This is returning to God what belongs to God.
Offerings
You likely have more than you need. There also exists others that are in need. Close that gap.
Character - Oaths/Vows
Your word matters. And it matters a lot. Let your yes be yes and your no be no.
Tabernacle/Temple
The dwelling place of our God is in the Tabernacle/Temple. Intimacy happens here. And that intimacy is in all areas of our life.
Purity
True intentions that align with Abba’s ways. Reducing ourselves to be low in the earth, humble. “How blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
Being Clean
You must be clean if you enter into the Tabernacle. As we saw above, the Tabernacle is the place where Abba dwells here on earth. If you want to get in it is important you understand the difference between clean and unclean.
We must leave an inheritance in the earth. Once your identity has become evident to you, you WILL become a new being. You will then leave to future generations the most treasured thing you could possibly leave: you.
As you push even deeper into your own identity, it is critical you become aware of how the Adversary will twist things so you start to question the validity of what you know to be true.
Let’s see how Yeshua handled this problem.
Matthew 4:5 Then the Adversary took him to the holy city and set him on the highest point of the Temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “jump! For the Tanakh says, ‘He will order his angels to be responsible for you. They will support you with their hands, so that you will not hurt your feet on the stones.’”
Interesting -- If He was the Son of God. If.
We saw this question of ”if” back with provision. There, Yeshua’s legitimacy was tested with food -- something that would satisfy hunger temporarily. This would bring comfort to His physical body. Here, He is tested with something that could introduce death to His entire being. This would bring comfort to His identity.
The Adversary knew the truth but he tried using it against Yeshua. It had nothing to do with falling and being hurt. That part is true. The piece that mattered was whether He would do it to prove His legitimacy. Yeshua never did a thing to prove His legitimacy. When the Pharisees pushed Him to perform miracles to prove Himself, He always refused.
You also will likely face this testing everyday of your life. It will not let up.
Pay attention to this line of questioning in your life because it is rooted in you walking the path you’ve been called to walk. If your legitimacy is never being tested, it is likely you are on the wide path.
What can you then do to prevent falling into this trap?
Be careful not to defend yourself to others. Thinking you are the one to prove your legitimacy means you do not actually believe what you claim to believe. If you place your value in the hands of man, he will bring you to a very low level indeed.
When someone questions your identity, turn and walk in the other direction. Do not even validate their accusation with a response. You know who you are because Abba Himself has told you. And that is the final word on the matter.
We can summarize all of this in a clear and succinct way:
Seems simple but walking the narrow path requires you stay alert every second of every day.
But boy is it worth it.