Profit is Not Your Reward

“And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.” – Matthew 25:20, 22

Many business schools and consultants believe and teach that the goal of the entrepreneur is to make a profit and increase his standard of living, which is the reward of being a good entrepreneur. However, in Biblical Entrepreneurship, the business profit is not your reward for being a good entrepreneur or a good steward. Remember, the assets you started the business with are not yours. The gifts, skills and treasures are not yours; they are the Master’s who has entrusted them to your care until He returns.

For example, suppose you are a money manager and I give you $25,000 to care for. Ten years later, I return to you for my investment. Based on your good stewardship, you increased it from $25,000 to $200,000. How much money do you owe me: $25,000 or $200,000? Of course the answer is $200,000, because the $25,000 you began with was not yours and neither is the increase of $175,000.

The assets you began with belong to your Master, and the increase of the assets is His as well; nothing belongs to you. The Master will reward you accordingly but you cannot treat His profit as your reward. So, what does the Master expect you to do with His profits?

The profits are used in the following three ways:

1. To save for the time of lack – You must build a financial reserve for the down times. Unfortunately, when financial crisis hits following a time of abundance, Christians tend to suffer just as bad as non-Christians. Part of the reason is that we did not learn from Joseph on the importance of storing resources during the time of abundance to prepare for the time of lack. Lack always follows abundance. That is an economic principle. Therefore it is important to build a reserve so that during the time of lack you may not just survive but thrive.
2. To reinvest in the business – We are called to be lenders and not borrows, and one of the ways to continue self-financing the business is through operating profits. Many entrepreneurs get so focused on enhancing their standard of living that they miss the fact that you must continuously reinvest in the business in order to increase the capacity of the business to produce, thereby serving more people. Also, you must be committed to enhancing the value of your products and services. The sad reality is that many entrepreneurs begin with great products and services, but instead of improving those products and services over time, they look for ways to cut cost in order to make more money. Don’t get me wrong, you should always look for more affordable ways to produce and deliver your goods, but never at the expense of quality. I am sure you can think of many products or services that have decreased in quality over time.
3. To fulfill God’s covenant – This is the most important reason; advancing the will of God in the earth. Deuteronomy 8:18 tells us that God has given us power so that we may gain wealth to fulfill His covenant, and Matthew 25:31–46 gives us some insight. It is no coincidence that right after the parable of the talents, the Lord Jesus Christ tells us the story of how He will judge the nations. According to this story, He expects us to feed the hungry, nourish the thirsty, house the stranger, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and those who are in prison. I believe that these key areas of focus have both spiritual and natural implications. This is the covenant: ensuring that the will of God for all mankind is accomplished both spiritually and naturally. Profit is necessary to accomplish this great task.

How are you using your business profits? Make sure you are using them in a manner that will please the Master since you will be held accountable for your stewardship.

My prayer for you today is to remember that you will be held accountable for your stewardship and that nothing you have is yours, but God’s.