Have you been through a faith crisis? Have you been through a transformative experience? Did you see these as being the same thing? Are you used to growth as steps in a journey, and regard your progress as passing milestones and see this as an accomplishment? But this is not the path of transformation that you really need. If you are willing to go here, you can expect it to feel as though your world is collapsing rather than enlarging. You will feel the loss of those things that are holding you back before you emerge into a larger reality. Don’t hold back out of fear.

Have you ever taken a leap of faith? When you go to school you learn according to a curriculum, which is a series of lessons broken down into steps where each one builds in a logical progression. The concept of steps is appropriate here since you have a secure footing on the next step before you release the previous one. This is a great approach for lessons, or for movement on even level ground. Have you ever had to go somewhere that you couldn’t get to with steps?

Do you enjoy giving gifts? Do you find it rewarding to be thoughtful and generous? Are you familiar with the gift-giving dilemma of what do you get for the person who has everything? Do you see how this question applies to gifts that you would give me to an extreme degree? For I created all things. Yet I have told you what is on my list. The thing I want most from you is a broken spirit and a contrite heart. Have you seen these qualities in people and found them to be attractive? Yet they come at a cost. Do you know anyone you would describe this way that didn’t suffer to get it?

You have material needs, so you need a source of income, and this typically means a job. So a job can provide you with an income, but it does more than this. A job also provides you with an opportunity to serve; to provide a useful service for your employer or customers. So your income is created out of the value you create. Which do you think is more important? Does the Bible speak more highly of acquiring money or being a servant? Since your job performs both functions, you have the choice of the perspective you take and how you prioritize them.