LET MY LIFE FLOW IN PROFIT

Ps Seth Asare Ofei Badu

Main Readings: Matthew 25:14-30, Romans 12:3-21

The Lord has put a fountain unto profit within me – His Holy Spirit. At each of life’s decisions and actions I can let it flow, or keep it locked. Most profitable servants of the Lord keep it turned on, because they have learnt that it is by the Lord’s doing that they are good. Others have barely learnt to turn it on, thinking what goodness they have in themselves is for private gain. Today, we have gathered to pray that the Lord will teach us to keep the profit fountain of Divine love, kindness, self-control, service, etc. ever flowing, as faithful stewards.

Matthew records Jesus’ Parable of the Talents, and from it we learn of servants whose lives flowed unto profit and of one who resisted that flow. First, what was the nature of the talents or what do they imply in our case? In the parable they are made to appear like money, or some kind of trade capital. Good. What trade capital has the Lord endowed His disciples with? Jesus’ concern was with the display of the transformed character (generally not different from “fruits of the spirit”) of His disciples, as in “Let your light shine before men...” (Matt 5:16). They may also be equated with spiritual gifts which must not be neglected as Paul admonished Timothy (1Tim 4:14). We may therefore conclude that the talents represent the total work of having the Holy Spirit in your life: How He has empowered you to live a shining life while putting His gifts to work. Let us take just 3 aspects of the fruit that we are capable of bearing and any 3 gifts of the spirit that we may have:

Fruit (See Gal 5:22, Matt 5:43-48)

1.       Divine Love: Patiently laying your life down for others

2.       Divine Kindness: Putting your resources at the disposal of others selflessly

3.       Divine Self-Control: Holding your tongue, anger and desires in check, in order not to hurt others

Gifts (See Rom 12:6-7)

1.       Teaching as a calling, as with all Elders and aspiring officers

2.       Prophesying: Speaking forth the mind of God in word or song

3.       Serving: Facilitating activities of other workers of God

The profitable Servants

1.       Accepted their talents wholeheartedly

2.       Put them to use

3.       Watched to make profit

4.       Returned talent along with profit – True stewardship

5.       Accepted additional responsibility with joy

Nature of the Profits

1.       They discovered more fruits and gifts in themselves

2.       They saw more transformed lives

The Unprofitable Servant

1.       Accepted talent half-heartedly: Jealousy, envy, spite

2.       Did not put it to use: Wicked, Vengeful and Rebellious

3.       Did not care for profit: Slothful

4.       Had to return talent but with no profit: Proof that he was endowed anyway

5.       Was stripped of all responsibility and place: Headed for hell

Conclusion

God has put His goodness in us for His own profit. We have no other option than to smell good for Him.