Walk of Life – Day 14 October 2021 Thoughts from the Book of Proverbs – OPT TO
Opt to Reap in Abundance
Proverbs 14:4. Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.
This verse seems totally out of context and appears out of nowhere and is often ignored. However, the wisdom of Solomon years and years before the days of business analytics and financial management is truly commendable.
Oxen in those days symbolized great strength. However, there are disadvantages. Oxen eat a lot, they are very expensive, and take a lot of time to care for. So if you do not have oxen, the crib or the manger or the feeding trough is clean. The other side of the story, however, is that oxen have great strength and when you employ them in agriculture, you can accomplish twice or thrice the amount that you do manually. These oxen are the tools for a tremendous harvest. Their inconvenience and cost definitely do not compare with their productivity. So in other words, Solomon is saying use the right tools to get your work done and get it done really well. A little extra cost or expense is fine because the output is what actually matters. Whenever someone invests in business, they calculate a tentative ROI or return on investment on how profitable the business would be. Only if the returns are substantial they would go ahead on investing.
Many of us try to cut corners – to save money. It is very important to save but wherever investment is really important, do it because it will reap lifelong benefits. Never compromise on a good education for children, on the quality of friends, on things that would make a lifelong impact. It may cost a little more, but it is worth the effort.
Christians can reap an “abundant harvest” by using tools of a spiritual nature. Good books, study materials, and evangelism aids are invaluable. Build yourself a library of tools. Don’t buy just anything. Get recommendations. The job is to learn, love, and live the Bible. Good tools will pay great dividends.
In whatever work you do be it secular or spiritual, invest in the right tools. We sometimes end up buying substandard things because they came at a discount and end up spending much more on repairing the same. We need to be wise and prudent in our work. We need to give our 100% always. The Lord has entrusted the job of sharing the Gospel to us. How equipped are we? How easy it is for us to walk up to someone and share the good news? Do we train ourselves to be ready to speak a word in season and out of season all the time. If you want to be a soul winner, you need to invest your time. Invest in prayer, in studying God’s Word, in getting to know different cultures, people, interests, languages, and use them as a tool to spread the Gospel.
Lets equip ourselves so that we will not be ashamed when we stand before our Savior one day.
