Field of Dreams

Matthew 13:44 The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. The venture capital industry is one of feast and famine. We can sit for months without much activity, but when a deal goes live we drop everything and put all our attention and getting that deal over the finish line. Last year when we found out that my dad got cancer, even if I had five live deals I would have been happy to drop all of them to do whatever it took to make sure he was ok. (He’s doing better btw… thank you all for your prayers!) And yet Jesus says that “anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me.” This is why the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. Once we find it, we should be willing to sell all that we have in exchange. That includes our deals, our dreams, and even our beloved. Lord, all I need is you. I love my dad and I’m passionate about my work. You’ve planted dreams in my heart about the supernatural healing and the transformational favor to come. But I know that you can bless the earthly things when I’m focused on the heavenly thing. Empower me with an eternal perspective today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Playa Hatin' Pharisees

Mark 3:6 “Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.” Last night Elaine and I opened a Clubhouse room on women in entrepreneurship, and one of the participants asked an interesting question about how to earn the respect (and open the checkbooks) of VCs who are mostly men. “When men are assertive, they’re seen as confident. When women are assertive, they’re seen as aggressive or bossy. How should I act in my pitch?” My response was that you’re always going to have some people who don’t like you, regardless of what style you choose. So just be yourself, and if some subset of investors doesn’t like that, then they’re probably not the right partners for you anyway. Even most non-believers would agree that Jesus had more impact on this world than any other single human being. Yet even He had his detractors. The Pharisees were so jealous of Jesus and his miracles, that in Mark 3 they began to plot his murder. I guess playa hatin’ goes back way before the days of gangsta rap. The more we humble ourselves and align ourselves with the heart of the Father, the more God lifts us up and uses us for the Kingdom. And the more God lifts us up the more we have a target on our back from the enemy and jealous people in our midst. Today I feel God reminding me that I only need to be liked by one person, and He already loves me more than I can begin to imagine. Lord, you are my audience of one. I know that if I’m close to you and submit myself to your will, everything else in this world will sort itself out. I want to be a light, but I know that the source of that light is the oil of the spirit, not the praises of man. All I need is you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Unfair-itis

Matthew 6:4 “Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Raising three young boys leads to a lot of love in our household, but also a lot of jealousy. We like to say that there’s an epidemic of “unfair-itis” that manifests in outbursts like “that’s not fair! I did more work than him and he got more screen time than me!” So during our devotional time the other night, I explained to the boys that these moments are actually a huge opportunity. “Every time we are treated unjustly and not given credit for our contributions, God is storing up more treasure for us in heaven. Usually, I find he gets us more reward on earth too if we can just wait it out.” Three separate times in Matthew 6 Jesus talks about this concept. If you give to the needy and people know about it, then you’ve already received your reward. If you fast and make a big production of it, then you’ve already received your reward. But if you do the right thing, and no one knows about it, your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. My natural reaction is to cringe with unfair-itis when I’m not given credit for my contributions, but over time I’ve seen again and again that God rewards me when I let him fight the battle. At work, we’ve remained quite under the radar in many ways, but He’s been orchestrating some moves that will get us credit soon for our work, many, many years after the fact. Lord, I thank you that I can take comfort in your goodness, even when the world seems unfair. I pray that you help me to have more of an eternal perspective today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.