Productive for God

DEVOTION
TITUS
PRODUCTIVE FOR GOD
Titus 3:12-14
12 As soon as I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, because I have decided to winter there. 13 Do everything you can to help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way and see that they have everything they need. 14 Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives.
NIV
Is this productive life about the toil of working to earn an income in order to pay for my own housing, food and clothing? Or would this productive life be all about advancing the Kingdom of God? If I not providing form my daily necessities and thus completely dependent upon others for them, how would I be able to stand and declare God provides all I need. I think that declaration would be met with sneers and a response of, “No, others pay your way.” That is not to say I have never been the recipient of gifts from others, for surely I have, and I have always giving God the Glory for impressing upon them to bestow whatever upon me. I think this speaks to simply sitting around not working at all, not making any effort to provide for my daily needs, and live off others completely. I believe this productivity does speak to the benefit of the Kingdom rather than to employment. That is the whole of the reason I live, is to be of some benefit to God’s Kingdom. If not, then of what purpose is life, is it just to learn, grow, work, save, spend, then die? That seems rather futile and useless at best. If my only reason for living is, my own self, providing for me and mine, I have to ask what I am providing. If it is just material goods, things that will perish, of what value are those to me and mine? True, I need to make sure my family has a home, food, and clothing. Yes I need to make sure they are safe from harm, and have the things which are needed to live in the society in which we live. Although I have always worked, mostly with my hands, but sometimes with my head, I still think all I have has been provided for by my God. Where I have lived, and worked as always been at the direction of my God. Yet, I think the greatest provision I can give to my family is the truth of the Gospel and to make sure they are provided with what is eternal. To me, that is the ultimate form of productivity. If I have lived in this productive manner, both for my daily needs and for the Kingdom, then I have accomplished his purpose for my life. When I lay my head to rest for the final time and step off into eternity, I desire to have been known not as a man who dreamed of and pursued self- grandeur, but as a man after God’s own heart, a man who was productive for God.