Think Again!

56 • Think Again: Transformation That Yields a Return on God’s Investment

parables of the leaven and mustard seed (Matt. 13.31-33). It is the slow and steady growth that produces lasting value.

Christians sometimes are deceived into believing that Christ’s Kingdom is best advanced by a celebrity endorsement (the latest sports figure, actor, politician, or millionaire). We are tempted to show favoritism toward those in power, when we should be chastened by James 2.1-4: “My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, ‘Here’s a good seat for you,’ but say to the poor man, ‘You stand there’ or ‘Sit on the floor by my feet,’ have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” Be watchful for schemes that promote worldly values where big begets big. Use the slow and steady approach that bears long-term fruit. Scheme #12: Preservation There is one particular scheme that is so subtle that it can easily be missed. It is the scheme of preservation . Splits the Pie Preservation is a zero-sum-game, where one person wins at the expense of the other. The world is seen as a pie to be split, where “I’ll get mine so others don’t take mine.” People anxiously cling to what little they have, or attach themselves to those with wealth and power in order to get more pie. They compete for their slice of control, attention, or possessions, believing there is only “so much to go around.” Preservation is nervous about ideas that threaten the status quo. “We could lose our pie, so let’s not rock the boat.”