16: Give It All Away

Have you ever made a fantastic investment? Maybe it's your retirement savings, a mutual fund, or a beautiful set of Cutco knives. When Chris was a little kid, he asked his dad to buy him stock in a company called World Air, and he doubled his money in the first six months! But Chris' second attempt at investing didn't go so well. This time it was 2007, and he asked his dad to buy him stock in Build-A-Bear. Then the 2008 crash happened, and nobody was buying expensive customized teddy bears.

CEO Mark Walter is a little savvier than Chris. He bought the Los Angeles Lakers for $10 billion. Mark saw what the team was worth, and he's been proved right: Just a year later, he's selling for $12.5 billion!

But Jesus is an even savvier investor than Mark Walter. In Matthew 13, Jesus shares parables about how the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, or a priceless pearl. Jesus is saying that it's worth selling everything we have to get the kingdom. Pastor John Ortberg says that if we saw how valuable the kingdom really was, we would be drawn to it with "unforced desire." We would willingly give up anything we have in order to get that kingdom.

Jesus is inviting us to give it all away for what really matters, and what really matters is the kingdom. As you apply this teaching to your work life, ask yourself, what really matters? How is the kingdom of God breaking in? How can you be present with Jesus in your daily work? How can you care for the common good of your community and colleagues? How can you give it all away?

Sources:

Matthew 13:44-46 (NIV)

Dallas Willard with John Ortberg, Living in Christ's Presence: Final Words on Heaven and the Kingdom of God, conference recording, "Knowing Christ Today," Dallas Willard Center, February 2013 (ChristianAudio.com, 2014).

Greg Beacham, "A Blockbuster $12.5B Deal as Josh Kushner and Bob Iger Agree to Buy the Lakers, AP Source Says," Associated Press, August 12, 2026.

David Gelles, "Sell the Company for $400 Million? He's Giving It Away Instead," Business, New York Times, July 25, 2026.

Resources:

Enroll in the Finding God at Work Course for Free: https://missioncentral.church/faith-at-work/

Downloaded the Finding God at Work E-Book for Free: https://missioncentral.church/finding-god-at-work-e-book/