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PROFITABLE FOR NOTHING


 

In the book of Jeremiah, the thirteenth chapter God sent prophet Jeremiah to perform a parable. Jeremiah got a linen sash like belt and wore it without putting it in water, then God told him to hide it under a rock in the Euphrates river. After a few days God told Jeremiah to go back and get the sash, but it was totally ruined and profitable for nothing. This is what happens to us when we bury our gifts and talents in the ground. We become just like that linen sash, profitable for nothing.

This story also reminds me of the parable of talents Matthew 25:14-30, a master who was travelling far away gave one of his servant 5 talents, another 2 talents and another 1 talent. The one with 5 talents multiplied his by 2 and got 10 talents, the one with 2 talents multiplied his by 2 also and got 4 talents while the one with 1 talent hid his and buried it in the ground. This third servant was profitable for nothing.

God has given each and everyone of us gifts to use for His Glory, but we are either too occupied with the cares of this world that we think the gifts are for us to use for ourselves only, or we don’t stir up the gifts at all. Our gifts are given to us by God to serve Him and obey Him completely, Ephesians 2 :10 ‘for we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore prepared that we should walk in them’

God created us with unique gifts for good works, not for selfish works, not for money making although that may come with it but that is not the main purpose. God prepared these gifts for us long ago even before we were conceived that we should walk in them, we are to use it to serve Him. Your pretty face or handsome face is a gift? Are you using it to win souls to Christ or just using it to make money or gain followers, how are you using that intellect God gave you? are you using it to enrich yourself and family only or you are using it for fraud? what about that beautiful voice God gave you? Are you using it to impact lives and to minister to God? You are either using your gifts to build God’s kingdom, to build yourself, or you are burying it in the ground.

If we are not using the gifts that God gave us for the good works he wants us to use them for, we are profitable for nothing. Just imagine if you had to travel out of town and you left instructions with the nanny to pick your daughter up from school and left her the car keys to use to pick her up, but you return from your trip and discover that your daughter never got picked up from school, the nanny didn’t want to use the car and she didn’t use public transport either so she didn’t pick her up. That nanny will be fired immediately because the nanny is wicked and profitable for nothing. This is how God sees us when we bury our gifts in the ground.

God has empowered us all differently with different gifts, we have different strengths which we call the Grace upon our lives to do certain things, an intellectual might be able to reach intellectuals like himself or herself, an individual from the northern part of Nigeria may be better able to reach those from that area. When unbelievers operate in their giftings they do very well, for example we have a lot of gifted musicians in the world, but they are also profitable for nothing if they cannot use those gifts to build God’s kingdom.

Mathew 25:28-30 The master ordered that the talent be taken away from the unprofitable servant and given to the one with 10 talents. 29 to those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. 30 Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’ If we do not use the gifts that God has given to us for His Glory , God will give someone else who is willing, and we will be judged for it. May God help us to be profitable servants and good stewards of that which he has entrusted in our care in Jesus name. Amen.

                                                                                                                                                              

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