TAKING INVENTORY

By Joe Slater

Businesses may take inventory at the first of the year for tax purposes
or to see if the company was profitable last year. What about you and
me? How did we do last year? What adjustments do we need to make?
Several matters call for an inventory:

1. Bible study (not just reading, but study). Both public and private
study instill God’s word into our hearts. We ought to be known as
walking Bibles! It can be so, but not without serious Bible study.

2. Prayer. You do not have because you do not ask” (James 4:3).
“Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Need we say more?

3. Attendance. Satan has used the pandemic to condition us into
thinking in-person attendance is a mere option. For the truly ill,
watching the service on an electronic device is helpful. I know that by
experience! Nevertheless, when healthy, active people simply choose
not to show up, Scripture calls it sin (Hebrews 10:26). Lame excuses,
justifications, and rationalizations will never solve this!

4. Giving. God doesn’t “need” anything from us (Acts 17:25).
Giving has always been an indication of love for God. The poorest Jew
under the Law gave ten percent of his gross income (not what was left
after paying the bills). Most Jews gave a good deal more. Under the
New Covenant we are to give as God has prospered us (1 Corinthians
16:2). How would your income be affected if God prospered you in
proportion to the generosity of your giving?

5. Good works. You can name dozens of bad things you haven’t
done. That’s great? Now, what good works have you done? That’s one
purpose God has for you in Christ (Ephesians 2:10).

It’s time to take inventory!

Via Bulletin Gold