How art the mighty fallen! Any ‘mighty’ can fall. Therefore, there is need for one to be careful, consistency in communion with God, have control over challenges and controversies. No man prevails alone, but under God any man can do valiantly. Let the Lord have His way in your life; you will be confident in this one thing that He never fails.

The Power Of Gift
Giving is a gift from God. Everyday, every moment, man is given and he is also positioned to give. The gift we give is a representation of our knowledge of the ultimate giver. In life people give all sorts of things: good, bad, right, wrong, real, fake, modern, outdated, ancient, civil, cruel, among others.

Gifts sometimes are given unconsciously and intentionally. They come in several wraps. What we do on daily basis is a gift to someone. When you give a smile unknowingly to some one, the life touched by that smile might have an emotional relief and healing. Every man is a gift, but what wrap are you and what is your content?

Whatever You Do Is A Kind Of Seed Or Gift
That we have opportunity to give is because we have the privilege to give.
• The life you enjoy.
• The little or much resources you have.
• The beauty and strength you have and other blessings are God’s gift for service (Deut. 8:18). Yes! For service.

The Unprofitable Servant
In Matthew 25:14-30ff; the Lord gave a parable of servants to whom their master gave talents and responsibilities: “14: For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15: And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. 16: Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 17: And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. 18: But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money. 19: After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. 20: 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. 21: His lord said unto him, ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.’ 22: 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. 23: His lord said unto him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.’ 24: Then he which had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed.’ 25: ‘And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.’ 26: His lord answered and said unto him, ‘Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed.’ 27: ‘Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.’ 28: ‘Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.’ 29: ‘ For unto everyone that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.’ 30: ‘And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The word unprofitable means not profitable: producing no gain, good, or result. It also means some things were invested in you, but you did not make profit or you were given something, but you made no gain or profit.

Looking at the above text, what made the servant unprofitable?
• Negligence to opportunity.
• Felt he had just little to invest.
• Procrastination.
• Hurdling and hiding the talents and gift.
• Excuses – his master was his excuse, what is your own excuse?
• Your pastor?
• Your family?
• Your weakness?
• Members of your church?
• Your job, I guess?
• Your friends?
• Your educational qualification?
• The current economic challenges in the country?
• Discouraging behaviour from your leaders?

What really is making you unprofitable to God, to your church, your community, your family, and to yourself?

The unprofitable servant was not spared by God, do you think God would excuse your negligence? Beware, God’s judgment is, indeed, not negotiable.
Benefits Of Being Profitable

There is nothing we do either to God or man that goes unrewarded. Sometimes the reward could have either a long or short time manifestation. The fact of reward is that sometimes your reward does not come from the most laboured field.

Life most time rewards you from another angle of less investment. Doing service without the mind-set of entitlement and reward breeds honesty, dedication and commitment; whatever you do, do same as unto God and not unto man.

What Service And Consistency Could Bring:
• Promotion.
• More responsibility.
• Addition and increase.
• Commendation by the master.
• Free from punishment.
• Approved.
• Attested as faithful and good.
• Given more opportunity to serve.
• Separated from the unprofitable, among other things.

Disguised Appearance
In life the opportunity to serve is presented to us in different forms and shapes. When the Lord came, He came hungry, thirsty, strange, naked, a prisoner. These are qualities no one would believe God would ever assume. He is the owner of the universe, the fountain of living water, the creator, the one clothed in glory and splendour, the Almighty that dwells above and is above all. Why this form?

The forms by which He appears may be so shameful and undesirable that we may not see God standing before us in such form. No wonder the ‘Righteous’ will be confused and will answer. When did you come? God may manifest to us in little forms we never imagined. This could be a little service, a little crowd, a little person or just a little thing. The widow, the orphan, the needy, the challenged, the decaying, the demotion, even the challenge and changes; hmmmm! Just anything could be ‘He,’ standing to be served by you His servant. To the clergy and pastors, that neglected need in the church or even that neglected and rejected church could be God’s disguised appearance needing your service.

The Certainty Of Reward
A day of judgment and account is coming, everyone will appear not as a group, not as a team, not as a family, not as a people, not as a church, but as “Individuals.”
Can You Answer These Questions?
Who is your determining factor for productivity?
What is your determining factor for productivity?
How do you determine the factor for productivity?
What are you seeing in the church?
What are you seeing in your pastor?
What are you seeing in your priest?
What are you seeing in your leader?
What are you seeing in your denomination or congregation?
What are you seeing in your community?
What are you seeing in your family?
Are you discouraged?
Have you taken a decision and on what bases?
Whose reward do you want?

Are all these enough reasons to stray the path of commitment, dedication and service?
God bless your labour of love.

• Venerable Stephen Wolemonwu is the Rector, Ibru Ecumenical Centre, Agbarha-Otor, Delta State (08035413812)