“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit…”
and make a profit”
There is nothing wrong with making a profit (far from it), but there is something wrong in living for profit. If profit interferes with service to the Lord, then it is wrong. If chasing wealth preempts our relations with or service to God, then it is wrong. Some of us are just too busy living for ourselves.
“Profit” not only means monetary gain but the “desire for gain.” When materialism lust overtakes our business plans, then we step out of the will of God.
PRINCIPLE:
There is no sin in making a profit, but there is a sin in living for profit.
APPLICATION:
God designed making money as a part of the establishment of creation. There is nothing wrong with working for money. It is a legitimate and necessary part of God’s plan. Some Christians are suspicious of anyone who has a lot of money; this is wrong.
However, inordinate desire for money is materialism or money-lust. This always gets us into trouble spiritually because we become a slave to the things of life. We become so occupied with money to the exclusion of everything else that money becomes our god.
When money becomes our god, it becomes all-consuming. We face each new day, not to glorify God, but we see it as another day to make a bundle. It is just another day of slavery. The mature believer does not depend on wealth for his sense of well-being or security. His foundation for his well-being rests on the Word of God.
1 Ti 6:6-10, “Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
The fundamental purpose of a Christian businessman should not be profit but the glory of God. Therefore, he does not make a profit by hook or crook but rather by God-honoring means. By putting God first in business, he glorifies God.
Profit is a means to an end, not the end itself. Great wealth will not make us happy, for the means will never give us the end. God will bless businessmen who live for the glory of God rather than the accumulation of assets. God is interested in our business. He wants to be a partner with us in it.
A businessman who lives for the glory of God will not rationalize cheating on his income tax because the accumulation of assets is not his aim. He aims to interact with the grace of God in his life.
