day 321: Guarantees

A big part of work is looking for guarantees. We want guarantees from vendors and suppliers that the parts or service they are providing will be nothing short of stellar and perfect. We seek their guarantee and want them to stand by their workmanship. We look for guarantees from each other as co-workers. These are the guarantees that work will be done on time, complete and to the satisfaction of our internal customers and our ourselves. We look for guarantees from our bosses. When we work hard and we perform to our best ability, and to our bosses expectations, we want the guarantee that we will be recognized and rewarded for our efforts. In all of these cases we either sit with another person and express our desires and look for their personal guarantee and promise, or we will be even more explicit and try and get the guarantee in writing from the other party. Here is the flaw in our thinking; there are no guarantees that are 100% sure in the human life that we live. People, regardless of how pure, well-meaning or trustworthy, can and will always let us down at some point. The guarantees of this world are only as good as the piece of paper or the words spoken. But yet we still look for them and we need them as a part of our own assurances and confidence. What if we could remove that need from our life and trust forward that God will deliver what guarantees we seek? I think of Abraham in the Old Testament who God would continually ask to do bigger and bolder things and God would continue to tell Abraham; "I will bless you richly. I will multiply your descendants into countless millions, like the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore." The amazing part of that guarantee from God is that God would tell that to Abraham even before Abraham and Sarah were able to have children. Even more amazing is that Abraham, while he could not contemplate or fathom what God was promising, believed without doubt in God's promise and guarantee. In my own faith I would like to have a lot less need for the guarantees of men and a whole bunch more of the faith of Abraham. As we march through our working days and we look for the guarantees from others, let us reflect on the difference of the unsecured guarantees of people and the firm and 100% guarantee of God.

Reference: Genesis 22:17 (New Living Testament)