Daily Journal: 26 November

How Much Investment

Is Enough?

We were born with the desire for wealth. Wealth of time, productivity, profitability, and legacy. We were born with the desire to work, grow and increase. It was put there by God when He first created Adam.

Genesis 2:15 (NIV)

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

Genesis 1:28 (NIV)

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number

What happens to our soul when that desire to work, to be fruitful and increase, disappears?

Matthew 25:24-27 (NCV)

“Then the servant who had been given one bag of gold came to the master and said, ‘Master, I knew that you were a hard man. You harvest things you did not plant. You gather crops where you did not sow any seed. So I was afraid and went and hid your money in the ground. Here is your bag of gold.’ The master answered, ‘You are a wicked and lazy servant! … you should have put my gold in the bank. Then, when I came home, I would have received my gold back with interest.’

The master entrusted the servant with something valuable. He left with the expectation that his servant would work on his behalf while he was gone. But the servant didn’t even try to do what the master asked. He ignored the value that was given to him. When the master returned and the servant tried to excuse his laziness, the master had no mercy for him. He would have shown mercy if the servant had been responsible with what he had been given. Instead, nothing was deposited so nothing was returned, and the master was angry.

How much investment is enough? The master said the servant should have at least put the gold in the bank to accrue interest. What would that look like for us? Perhaps it would look like this.

Even if we just live right and keep the wheels turning, caring for others and respecting our master, there will at least be something to be said for our life, something to show for it. But if we don’t apply ourselves to a basic principle of taking care of our life and that of our household in a way that glorifies God, not forgetting that He will soon be returning, we will be ruined.

The bible links laziness with ruin and shame.

1 Timothy 5:8 (NLV)

Anyone who does not take care of his family and those in his house has turned away from the faith. He is worse than a person who has never put his trust in Christ.

Luke 16:10 (NASB)

“The one who is faithful in a very little thing is also faithful in much; and the one who is unrighteous in a very little thing is also unrighteous in much.

The opposite to laziness is being responsible and diligent, working to gain, and doing things with noticeable excellence.

Colossians 3:23 (NLT)

Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

Philippians 2:13 (NLT)

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.