God wants an intimate relationship with us but we often settle for much less. We accept God’s initial offer (the Gospel) and get to first base. But, in the words of a famous preacher, we then turn away from the action. We go and sit in the dugout and wait to go to heaven.
Most of us start with God and then spend the rest of our lives under our own power trying to do the best we can and then die. God wants much more for us.
God wants to invest in us but we think we can do better on our own. This can lead to disaster.
What God wants to do
There’re two types of agriculture
In one you plant a seed and in a few months you harvest a crop.
The second type requires a greater investment but the investment produces far more. It costs a lot of time and effort to produce an orchard or a vineyard but fruit trees and vines can produce for decades.
God wants to work deeply in our lives. The night before he was crucified Jesus used the illustration of a grapevine and its branches to show how he would empower his disciples.
In Isaiah 5 the prophet talks about the Jewish people as God’s Vineyard. God brought them out of Egypt to the land he promised to Abraham, their ancestor. He preserved the nation for centuries. Like the farmer who grows grapes he came looking for good fruit. He found only useless fruit.
What we do sometimes
Sometimes we’re like the people that Isaiah condemns. We have received a lot from God: material resources, spiritual gifts and abilities, and churches where we can flourish.
Sometimes we hoard all of this and use it for own enjoyment. Sometimes we even bully, cheat, and belittle.
We bear little fruit.
The consequences
A number of Christ’s parables addressed the area of stewardship. People are given different resources. There are one talent people, five talent people, and ten talent people.
We are not all identical and God has made it clear he will judge fairly.
Some of the consequences of our stewardship occur on earth and some will wait until eternity.
God wants to invest in us but we think we can do better on our own. This can lead to disaster.
I have covered some of these issues an earlier post:
Go…I will show you. Go … I will tell you.
Questions for consideration:
What long-term strategic investments has God has made in your life?
Have you ever been tempted to abandon some of them for what you think is a better deal?
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