Huge Economic Returns

Leadership

I love a good suit. Not necessarily an expensive suit, but just one that fits right, is comfortable, and isn't faded from years of wear. The right tie can make most suits look better than they are, so throw on a great tie, and I just feel like a million bucks. Toss in a pocket square, shoes with a little shine, and look out, world!

I do actually believe in dressing for success and for the job you want. Nobody wants to trust their money to someone who looks like they just rolled out of a dumpster. Like it or not, how you present yourself to the world will impact how it receives you. The first step to be trusted with anything is to look like you can be.

Thankfully, God's economy doesn't work that way. I can put a lot of silk on this pig to make it look good, but at the end of the day, I'm still a pig. It is what's behind the shine that matters. He sees through the filters, and so do most people.

"Your heart was filled with pride because of all your beauty. Your wisdom was corrupted by your love of splendor. So I threw you to the ground and exposed you to the curious gaze of kings." (Ezekiel 28:17)

God doesn't require pretty.

God doesn't require pretty. He tends to use the nasty reality of humanity to do his work instead. He doesn't look for spotless, just willingness. Let's check the film:

Jacob was a cheater, Abraham lived in his parents basement until he was old, Peter a coward and won “talks most says least”, Noah a solid drinker, Gideon lacked self-confidence, Elijah was moody, Paul was a terrorist, Moses feared public speaking, Thomas a doubter, Samson a hot-headed hair model, James and John were mama's boys, Rahab a prostitute, and my favorite, Zacheus was a wee little man. Basically, they are a biblical Bad News Bears.

This is great news! If He can change the world with that ragtag bunch, you can get in the game too, exactly how you are right now. He doesn't say clean up your act, and then you can be useful. He says to be used, and I'll do the cleaning.

Present yourself in a way that honors God with the amazing human he created. Do it in a way that engenders trust and connection, and is consistent with the work you have been called to do. But don't get caught in your own beauty and splendor; rather, focus on what is behind the shine if you want to be useful. Just be you. You are perfectly capable of generating huge returns in God's economy just the way you are right now. It's not the silk he uses, just the pig.