God’s Greatest Resource
They say that cattle in Wyoming grow fatter when they have oil wells in their pasture. So, if you had oil underneath your property and the mineral rights to go with it, wouldn’t you develop that resource and share the oil with the world and the wealth with your skinny cattle?
If you were on a hike through your poverty-stricken friend’s property and the sun just happened to reveal a golden glimmer in the rocks ahead. Wouldn’t you go and see what it was? And finding it to be gold, wouldn’t you tell your friend so that he could develop that resource and undo his poor situation?
God gave us, mankind, resources on this earth so that we could develop them and make the world a better place for all. There is a resource in our state and in our country that is worth infinitely more than oil and gold and comes in packages that bear the image of God. This resource is mankind and is undeveloped and wasted every day.
When unborn babies – our future engineers, firefighters, and missionaries – are murdered in their mothers’ wombs, our most precious resource is undeveloped and wasted. When young children – our future pilots, cooks, and schoolteachers – are neglected, abused, or malnourished, our most precious resource is undeveloped and wasted. When children – our future doctors, pastors, and lawyers – go through negligent school systems (be they public, private, or home), our most precious resource is undeveloped and wasted. When teenagers – our present-day laborers – are never taught to work hard and to enjoy the fruits of their labor, our most precious resource is undeveloped and wasted. When all of these – our household, our church, and our community – grow up without ever being encouraged and challenged by the gospel of Jesus Christ, God’s most precious resource is undeveloped, wasted, and literally condemned to Hell.
Unlike oil and gold, we all have the capability to share in the development of mankind for God’s glory. Young married couples can prioritize their choice to bring precious children into this world. Couples can choose to foster or adopt and spare one precious child, or more, from abuse. Parents can raise their children diligently, passing on the faith, a quality education, and a disciplined work ethic to bless the next generation. We as a church can work hard together to pass on our genuine faith to our families and to other families in our community who will in turn teach their children about Christ. We as a church can reach out to other regions of the world who have been thus far neglected and undeveloped with the saving grace of Jesus.
By all means, go out and develop that oil field and that gold mine. Enjoy that blessing for a little while. But don’t neglect to develop God’s greatest resource. Be diligent to develop the people, God’s image, in your household, in your church, in your community, and around the world with the saving grace of Jesus Christ. And continue to develop them until His day comes.
“Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.” Colossians 1:28-29