Covenanter Witness Vol. 55 - Rparchives.org

ejoice"self"end."sorrows"wealth"you"ways,"angle."wicked."men"What Shall It Profit?R. K. McConaughyDo you believe "there can't be an honest millionaire"? that "General Motors should be investigated because they are money"making too much ? thatthe "woodcutter must be poor if he's honest" ?IS FINANCIAL PROFIT DISHONEST? Let'sconsider first what makes wealth. The air, theearth's surface, the earth's interior, the seas, all areteeming with raw materials. To be useful they mustbe removed, moved, refined, combined, broken downand built up. Follow this process with a gallon ofCrude OilIn the groundAbove groundAs gasolineworthlessworth 5cpriced at 12cAs watch oil sells for $80.Notice the four ingredients that went into thisincrease in value. There was the raw material, thecapital to provide working funds and machinery, themanpower for labor and management, and the inventive mind to think up products and uses, services,new and more useable forms, more efficient production. Every step in the refining process increased thevalue received from the original raw material. Andeveryone who touched the process in any way sharesin the wealth that has been produced, from the driller in Oiltown to the milkman who delivers to thedoorstep of the service station operator at Crossroads.God expects us to work and to increase our substance: "And the Lord God took the man, and puthim into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keepit."Gen. 2:15"Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, andhis substance is increased in the land." Job 1:10See also Ex. 20:9, Deut. 6:3, Matt. 25:19-23.Profit can be honest. It can be right. It should beexpected.IS LARGE PROFIT WRONG? Perhaps a company makes a profit of 10c on a teapot. Is it wrongthat they make $200,000 on sales of 2,000,000 teato repots? A man of inventive mind sees a waytrieve the sulphur from the waste gases of a refinery. Is he dishonest if he makes a million dollarsfrom sales of a product countless others have passedby as worthless.God did not condemn wealth. "The Lord hathblessed my master greatly; and he is become great:and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silverand Gen. 24:35. See gold,"also Job 42:12, Prov. 31:31.Large profit can be honest and right.Then WHAT RULES SHALL GOVERN OURPROFIT SEEKING?1. Don't be envious of another's hottest profit.We do not all have the same talents. The same opportunities and circumstances do not come to everyone. "Let each esteem other better than themselves"(Phil. 2:3). "Rejoice with them that do(Rom. 12:15).November 23, 19552. Don't be covetous of dishonest profit. "I wasenvious when I saw the prosperity of the"Until I went into the sanctuary of God ; then understood I theirPsalm for a vivid description of the strong temptation there is to covet and envy the wicked's prosperity, and for the answer to overcome this temptation.Psa. 73:3, 17. Read this entire3. Be diligent in business. Use what you have.In the parable, one man gained five talents; theother hid his talent. Never is there a promotion inour company without certain ones showing envy andcomplaining that good fortune never smiles on them.I think of two men of equal ability who workedacross the desk from each other. One worked faithfully but in addition he used many of his extra hoursgoing to night school. Now he is boss of his neighborwho also worked faithfully, but made no effort toimprove himself otherwise. This experience in various forms occurs again and again. See Prov. 27:23and Prov. 31:10, 27.4. Seek profit from that which is honest, goodand helpful to others. Even as the value of the can ofcrude oil can be increased manyfold to bring manyblessings, so the raw heroin can be refined and packaged to increase in price manyfold but to bring onlymisery. A young man worked in a store where he wasrequired to sack up 50 one-pound (?) packages ofsugar from one 50 lb. bag. He knew it couldn't bedone honestly and gave up the job."Provide things honest in the sight of all(Rom. 12:17). "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy(Lev. 19:18).5. Don^t let profit become your God. I asked afriend if she thought a certain man might volunteerservices to a community project. "I doubt it," shesaid, "I've never heard him speak of doing anythingwithout discussing the money Many excusethemselves from community projects, from churchwork because they are too busy with an extra job,night school, or selling gasoline seven days a week."For the love of money is the root of all evil:which while some coveted- after, they have erredfrom the faith, and pierced themselves through withmany (1 Tim. 6:10). See also I Tim. 6:17-19.6. Put God First. "But seek ye first the Kingdomof God, and his righteousness ; and all these thingsshall be added unto (Matt. 6 :33). "Rememberthe Lord thy God : for it is he that giveth thee powerto get (Deut. 8:18). We will strive to keepall God's laws. He who said "Six days shalt thoulabor,"also said, "Remember the Sabbath Day tokeep it holy." He who said "Go to the ant, thou sluggard,consider her also said "Thou shalt notoppress a stranger."I am speaking particularly as a member ofSynod's Board of Trustees. Not many people are familiar with this Board and its work. We handle theChurch's money and are responsible for some $1,500,-343