A WORD TO THE WISE. Proverbs 29: 7 "Wise Investments?"

Proverbs 29: 7     The righteous considers the cause of the poor, but the wicked does not understand such knowledge.

Proverbs 29: 7. I spent most of yesterday with men and women who don’t pay taxes or tithes.

I’m talking about grown men who are unemployed/ underemployed, living with female relatives or wandering from place to place spending the night with whichever friend will let them crash.  These are men who work when and where they can, taking odd jobs and day labor for a little under-the-table cash.  Some of these men have criminal records.  Some couldn’t pass a drug test if it was given today. 

And there are the women with babies here and there by this man and that man, all in the custody of some other person or agency.  The mothers bounce from crash spot to crash spot, in various stages of chemical, mental, and spiritual breakdown.

So, to the obvious question:  Ummm, Anderson?   Why?

Why are you mentoring people who haven’t evidenced any real progress in their entire adult lives?

Why are you ministering to people whose sins are deep, offensive, and recent?

Why are you expending your energy and resources on people who by every objective measure of the census and the church are unproductive citizens?

Why are you wasting your time-----on them?

Because an unemployed father now spends his days volunteering at his children’s school and his nights doing homework with both his kids so that he won’t get caught up again in the street life; but he’s already burned so many bridges that there’s no way left for him to cross over into the job force.

Because that really smart guy smoking a cigarette on the porch is either going to learn for the first time how to make a legitimate living or he’s going to figure out when to break into your house.  But, what he isn’t going to do is sit there broke on that porch for another month and starve.

Because we tell people, “The fact that you’re still alive means that God isn’t through with you yet.  God is giving you another chance.”   Well, these folks are still alive, too.

Because we say “God loves sinners but hates sin.” Well, if I’m trying to be godly shouldn’t I do the same.  Or, should I continue loving my sin while hating those sinners.

Because we say that a man’s worth isn’t defined by his income.   That’s what we say.

Because that chick on the street is somebody’s mother, and her children still and always will lover her.

Because an under-employed young man who’s lived in the Bible Belt all of his 20-something years has been preached to and preached at, but he’s never had someone sit down and really explain salvation to him.

To some, it doesn’t make sense to “waste” time on such people.  I confess to frustration and fatigue, to days of “What the crap am I even doing?” as I help people who are notoriously hard to help.

But I have considered this carefully, and here’s what I’ve concluded:  Warren Buffett.

Warren Buffet.

You know, one of the richest men in the world, the “oracle of Omaha,”  genius investor, financial savant---- Warren Buffet.

There are people who make their living doing what Warren does.  They have figured out that if they stay close enough to Warren’s moves, then they will also prosper.   Now, these folks can’t move at Warren’s level because they don’t have Warren Buffet’s money and they don’t have Warren Buffet’s skills, but they recognize the benefits of copying a man who knows what he’s doing.

Like they copy Buffet, I copy Jesus.  Jesus invested in people who seemed to have no value.  Jesus mentored men who were busy at one thing,  but not at the thing God ultimately meant for them to do.   Jesus spoke comfort and difficult truth to people who were in the middle of their sin (caught in the very act).   Jesus saw the promise of long-term return where other folks, including the leadership of the local temple/church, saw a waste of capital.  

Well, Rev., how do you know that Jesus has invested in the particular people you spent your mid-week on?

Because yesterday, about 11:30 in the middle of the week, with no choir and no printed bulletin, at the altar of Hall Memorial CME Church, one of them gave his life to Jesus.  And if Jesus considers him a valuable enough assett to keep for eternity in Heaven, I’d be crazy not to consider him valuable enough to invest a few hours in on earth.

I’m not crazy or sentimental. I just recognize the benefits of copying the Man who knows what He’s doing.

To some, that will never make sense.  To some, what I and so many others do will always be a bad deal.  Some of you will never understand. 

Too bad for you.

---Anderson T. Graves II

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is the pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church

Call/ fax: 334-288-0577
Email us at hallmemorialcme1@aol.com  
Friend Pastor Graves at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

If you want to be a blessing to this ministry, contributions may be made by check or money order.

Mail all contributions to :

Hall Memorial CME Church
541 Seibles Road
Montgomery, AL 36116