For Profit

Happy Sunday!

God is not Non-Profit!   I'll give you a moment to process this revelation.   From the very beginning, he intended for humankind to be productive.  Genesis 1:27-28 says, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.  And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."(KJV).   Don't let your religious mind diminish the weight of this mandate.  God wants man to be profitable in every area of his life and existence.

Jesus picked up on this and told the parable of the talents.  Matthew 25:14 says, "For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called HIS own servants, and delivered unto them HIS goods."(KJV).   The next few verses in the Living Bible translation are very interesting.  "He gave $5,000 to one, $2,000 to another, and $1,000 to the last—dividing it in Proportion to their Abilities—and then left on his trip.  The man who received the $5,000 began immediately to buy and sell with it and soon earned another $5,000.  The man with $2,000 went right to work, too, and earned another $2,000.  But the man who received the $1,000 dug a hole in the ground and hid the money for safekeeping."(vs 15-17).   Every time I read these scriptures, I hear Billie Holiday in my head.  "Them that's got shall get, them that's not shall lose.  So the Bible says, and it still is news.  Mama may have, Papa may have, but God bless the child that's got his own".   Ok, ok...pray for me!  I generally can find a song to fit most life events. 

Matthew 25:29-30 says, "For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.  And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."(KJV).   OUCH!  Don't miss this!  The Unprofitable Servant was to be banished from the Kingdom.   This is so different from what our society promotes.  Jesus is not against helping the poor, but he is totally against laziness.  In vs 26, the Master described the servant as, "wicked and slothful servant".(KJV).   The Easy-to-Read Version says, "You are a bad and lazy servant!"    The Message Version says it best, "The master was furious. ‘That’s a terrible way to live! It’s criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest".  

What does this have to do with us?  Great question!  I'm so glad you asked!   Psalm 90:12 says, "Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us to SPEND them as we should."(Living Bible).   Our days are a gift, they are currency.  God has invested life in you.  When he returns for you, or when he returns for us all...we will give an account of what we did with this gift.   Jesus said that we will even be required to give an account of our words spoken.  Matthew 12:36 says, "I tell you that men will have to answer at the day of judgment for every careless word they utter—for it is your words that will acquit you, and your words that will condemn you."(Phillips).    The unprofitable servant told the Master, "I was afraid."(Matthew 25:25, KJV).   Don't let fear cause you to miss out on God's Best!   

Love and prayers, Cynthia