Giving: Your Time
He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’
“So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
Luke 12:16-21 (NKJV)
In the Parable of the Rich Fool, Jesus warns us of the dangers of riches: how they fool us into thinking we’re safe– but also about the wrong use of time!
The rich man’s unfortunate destiny? A sudden death and sweeping eviction. 'So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God' (Luke 12:21).
In Corinthians 2, Paul compares poor Philippians to rich Corinthians: The lesser church out-gave the greater church. The guys who had the wealth planned a nice gift, but apparently procrastinated.
Paul's direct response? 'But now you must also complete the doing of it' (2 Corinthians 8:11).**
In the prosperous American church, sober self-reflection is in order. Compared to most Christians, we have it all: money, power, knowledge, and great freedom. What do we do with these God-given gifts?
We build BIGGER homes and BETTER lifestyles! God's response? 'Fool!' (Luke 12:20). Why? Because 'To whom much is given, from him much will be required' (Luke 12:48).
Also in Luke 12 is another hard-hitting Parable. God compares faithful and evil servants. The evil one “beat” his fellow servants.
“That’s not me,” you might say. “I’m no bully.” But is “beating” just a form of “winning”? And for most of us to “win” in this world, don’t we usually “beat” someone else?
Actors, models, and talent for Christ,
remember two things:
For you to rise and shine in media, competing for roles is part of the job. Paul spoke of competing and winning, but his goal was a crown made in Heaven and his “competition” was the devil. Same for you. Yes, you must compete for roles. But don’t forget the REAL race and REAL foe.
Give God and The Word prime time every day. Don't let Satan rush you or distract you. Always be about your Father's business, 'Making the most of your time, because the days are evil' (Ephesians 5:16). 'NOW is the acceptable time' (2 Corinthians 6:2) for you to show your fans the Heart of a Hero.
Giving: Your Time (Part 12)
NOTE: God is my Ghostwriter. If what I write is good, it’s from God. You may see notes to 'Actors, Models & Talent for Christ.' If you think you're not in show business, think again. Shakespeare said, 'All the world's a stage and all its men and women merely players.’ Mostly true. But you're not merely players. You are messengers and ambassadors for the King of kings.
* Two Parables in Luke, The Rich Fool and The Faithful Servant and the Evil Servant, concern timing: the work, readiness and destinies of God's servants: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke+12%3A13-56&version=NKJV