Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
ABC has a reality television show called "Shark Tank." The "sharks" consist of five multi-millionaires who listen to various entrepreneurs pitch their product in hopes to have one or more of the "sharks" invest in it. This last week, an entrepreneur was on the show pitching his invention "Wakin' Bacon." According to his research, one of the top things people want to wake up to is the smell of bacon. "Wakin' Bacon" is a pig-shaped alarm clark that actually heats up pre-cooked bacon, timing the morning alarm with the aroma of freshly cooked bacon.
Each shark has an opportunity to ask questions, make an offer to invest in the product, or decide they're "out." When it came time for the "Wakin' Bacon" decisions, each shark, one by one for obvious reasons, said, "I'm out." That is, until one of the newest sharks, Mark Cuban, the outspoken owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, had the floor. He paused. He hesitated. The other sharks started to question his sanity in even considering to invest in such a product. They started to egg him, "You gotta be kidding me, Mark. What are you going to do when the first one catches on fire in the middle of the night? What's the value of the business going to be then?"
Mark finally broke his silence. "I know how to get insurance. I'm not worried about that liability. " He then went on to say, "The probability that people will actually use this product once after buying it is perhaps 10%. The probability that people will use this product a second time after they buy it is 0%. It's a novelty item. People will buy it because it's so stupid." Eventually, however, Mark finally said he was "out."
Now, to be an entrepreneur on the Shark Tank, you've gotta have some thick skin. Really thick skin. How would you like to hear someone tell you this invention that you've put your blood, sweat, and tears into and believe is going to be "the next biggest thing" is a complete and utter joke? Even more, how would you feel if you were told it should be used in a manner differently than what you intended? Ouch. The "Wakin' Bacon" designer took the rejection like a man and walked away from the Shark Tank empty handed, without any partners or investors. Big shocker there, ey?
Being an entrepreneur myself, I couldn't help but put myself in the feet of the "Makin' Bacon" inventor. This guy believed so much in his product that he endured public humiliation. He stuck to his guns and couldn't stand the idea of his product being used for what something other than he intended it. I thought about that, and then I thought about the relationship between Jesus our Creator and us. Are we not His prized possessions, His special creations? Now certainly, I'm not comparing mankind to some crazy bacon alarm clock, ok? It's the principle of the creator and creation and being used for the purpose intended.
Take a look at the verse to memorize for this week. We are God's beautiful masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus for what? To do good works! Now let's be clear. Good works do not get us to heaven. Just back up a few verses to clear up that one. Ephesians 2:8-9 says it's by grace we are saved through faith, and it's not of ourselves, it's the gift of God....not works. When Jesus died on the cross and rose the third day, He conquered sin and death and made a way for us to get to heaven. He did the job. End of subject. We only need to commit our life to Him, ask Him to forgive us of our sin and take control. But the natural bi-product of our faith in Christ is good works.
So let me ask, what are you doing to be used the way the Master Inventor intended? Are you serving? What are you doing in your church? If you're attending church every week and just sitting there, are you producing good works? What about outside your church in your community? Are people seeing the hands and feet of Jesus through your good works and acts of service?
Or, have we decided to take a Mark Cuban novelty approach with our life? Have we decided to take a left turn and change the way God intended our lives to be? The choice is ours. Serve or sit? Self or others? God has called us to live a life of service that produces good works because of our love for Him. What will your decision be in the Shark Tank?
---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com