The world seeks productivity from those who serve it, and in the end, on the last day of a man’s life, it offers no reward whatsoever for it. All the comforts that it offered were external only in their nature, the inner man reaped only what he sowed, pride, selfishness, arrogancy, and even these will be lost to him in his dying breath. All he has strove for, all that he claimed as his own will be given to another, and in time, even his memory will fade away.
There is nothing that either the saved or the lost have done for the sake of the world that will have any reward in the eternal, all that is done for the continuance of the planet or the creature comforts of those who inhabit it will be counted as wood, hay and stubble, completely useless to the eternal kingdom of God. Whether you work in an open pit mine that’s destroying everything on the surface to reach the ore the people on the planet need to produce certain goods, or devote your life to protecting the earth and tending the garden, (Gen, 2:15) you are still under the curse, (Gen. 3:17) and the curse has caused us to become trapped in the endless cycle of productivity. What we build today will be gone tomorrow, those who serve for the sake of the continuance of their existence, will exist no longer very soon, for we are as the dew in the morning, (Hosea 13:3) the flower in the field that is beautiful today, the world that we tend, will be cast into the furnace tomorrow. Solomon was correct, everything under the sun is vanity and vexation of Spirit. (Eccl. 4:16)
When a man comes to the realization of this truth, when the knowledge is indisputable, it will do one of two things to his soul, he will either fall into a pit of deep depression and frustration, for he understands that his life has been completely and totally wasted, or he will seek the better path. I have attempted in many ways and words to help the lost that I meet to understand this truth, to assist them in seeing that there is an eternal path that will give a man true and lasting purpose to their lives, and those who do not reinforce their wall of pride have been few and far between. This truth is not just hard or difficult for them to comprehend, they are impossible, if life is not productive, then life has no meaning, and their lives revolve and exist only for this world. They are works based individuals, whether it be for the sake of others, or their own selfish desires, the more productive they are, the more they envision the granting of their entrance in a better world, into the heaven that they have manufactured in their minds.
There are those who call themselves Christians who hold the exact same thought processes, they must show themselves worthy of the kingdom, they must by their works prove to Christ that they are worth loving, that they have assisted in the continued existence of their fellow man, that they have “worked as unto the Lord.” (Col. 3:23) This may be one of the most misunderstood verses in all the Scriptures, for the Truth of it has been changed into the mindset that serves only man, and it is one of the easiest pathways to pride. “But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” (1 Tim. 5:8) This been added onto it, but everything but the accumulation of money has been subtracted from both of these verses. To provide for your family does not only mean making sure that there is food on the table each day, water to drink and clothes to wear, that for those who are seeking the Kingdom of God (Matt. 6:33) is God’s responsibility, and He will not falter in the responsibility. He knows that you need protection from the elements, and that money that you have been storing away, does that speak of common sense or trust?
I am concerned that there are many believers out there today that are secure in the provisions of the Lord only as far as they can see or touch, they fear a future in which they are no longer productive, not only because of the possibility of the lack of funds, but because of their own value in the eyes of the Lord. Tell me my friends, could you honestly be content with just enough money to pay for the bare necessities, food, clothing, water, housing, nothing extra, no phone no television, no vehicle, no vacations or extras of any kind, tell me, would you still feel productive? Therein lies the root of it all, we are only productive in our minds when we are accumulating, when we can get more than what we have, we are not productive in our minds unless we are gaining, and I can find nowhere in the Scriptures that tells us to attempt to achieve the goals of the world thru our own productivity. One would need to take the parable of the coins (Matt. 25:14-30) and transpose it into one of worldly accumulation, and that is far from the meaning of it.
We can only be productive when we allow the Holy Spirit of God to lead us in every endeavor, when we determine to trust, and not to work as unto the Lord for our own benefits. And no should be able to say that they are in disagreement with these words, for if they truly believe them, would they not give all that they do not need for that day to those who have a need that day, would we invest our money to plan for an easy life in our elderly years, or would we seek out those who truly need, and trust the Lord for our own continual daily needs. My friends, all of our productivity for the sake of the world is like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6) in the eyes of the Lord, and yet because of the curse (Gen. 3:17) it is in a sense forced upon us. Do you truly comprehend how difficult it is for us to do these things that have been written in this letter to you, it’s almost impossible to get many believers to even tithe, much less trust in this manner. This is why for some it is easier to go thru the internal tests that the Lord brings into their lives instead of the external, the things of the world, for when these things of the world are removed from them, they mistakenly see the blessings of the Lord removed from them at the same time.
My lovely wife said something to me the other day that I will cherish more than I could ever explain to her, “I will be just as happy with you if we are eating lobster or oatmeal,” and they were not just words, she meant them from her heart. Can you honestly do the same, can you in a type of love, from the depth of your soul tell the Lord that none of these things that He has blessed you with hold any eternal value to you, that your job, position and rank in the world are of absolutely no concern to you, that it does not matter one bit if He takes it all and leaves you with only enough for the day. Oh, that we could leave this world behind while we are still in it, that we would seek only the Lord and His righteousness, assured in the knowledge that we are safe in His hands, then, my brothers and sisters in Christ, you would become productive, you would truly be profitable servants and fit for the master’s work.
This life means absolutely nothing unless we are serving Christ, “To live is Christ, to die is gain.” (Phil. 1:21) The lost, those who will indeed die in their sins, are extremely good at making wood, hay and stubble, let them go about their business in the cares and maintenance of the world, it is all they will ever have, you start using the materials that you have been given, gold, silver and precious stones. Use them well, for they are indeed precious in the eyes of the Lord, He has built the entire new city of Jerusalem with them and more, and He will fill that city with the most precious ones that He owns, His children.
“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the LORD, and not unto men; Knowing that of the LORD ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the LORD Christ.” Col. 3:23-24
