Profit

James 4:13-15, "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.' Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.'"

I use to always interpret this scripture from the perspective of asking, or hoping, God will bless our efforts. I read it as if it suggests we go about our business and "if the Lord wills" then we would see a profit. Reality is very different in the aftermath of my own experience. Reality is that we don't know how long we will be on the earth so make every minute count for God. James is saying don't think you are going into business for a year to make a profit with the implication that you will follow God when you are done. On the contrary act on the Lord's will today.

Over a year ago I sat down to lunch with a globally renown pastor who for whatever reason has adopted me as a spirital son. There we talked about the turmoil in my life. I lamented over God not blessing my efforts. I shared my confusion about knowing I am called to ministry, but working in a dying dead end career of doing mortgages. It was during this lunch that he said something I dismissed as not God.

He said, "Jeff, I hear God saying that He will call you out of mortgages when you are at the top, not the bottom."

For me, I was done with mortgages. For me God was saying quit... which I reluctantly, and forcibly did. It was shortly there after that this blog began, both a chronicle of my walk in surrender and daily devotional for others to share and be inspired by.

For months there was a struggle until one day God told be He was bringing me a job. I thought finally. Finally something in Ministry was coming my way.

Wrong again. The call came and it came from a mortgage company. Hanging up the phone I heard God speak, "Take that job." I could just scream. It was just seven months ago that I complete let go of a mortgage career.

To make a long story short. In month one of working there I was the number one producer in the branch. Month two was just as good, but I was passed by a co-worker. In month 3 I am looking at the loans I have to close, and this is the part that blows me away. If most of my loans close this month I will be the number loan officer in the company. I have a legitimate shot at closing more than the hundreds of other loan officer employed along side of me. Isn't that just like God? Here I had forgotten what my pastor friend and mentor had said. But now, I cannot forget it.

In the end it is not about making a profit. It is about doing the Lord's will. After all, "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?" (Mark 8:36)

Thank you Jesus for your instruction, thank you for revealing your will, and thank you for the profit.