Are you profiting or profiteering?

By Tope Banso
“The LORD hates cheating, but he delights in honesty” (Proverbs 11:1 New Living Translation).
In business, profit is the excess of income over expenditure. It is “the monetary difference between the cost of producing and marketing goods or services and the price subsequently received for those goods or services.”
On the other hand, profiteering is defined as “The act or activity of making unreasonable profit on the sale of essential goods especially during times of emergency” (Merriam-Webster). Profiteering is making excessive profit.
Profiteers engage in unethical and unfair practices to manipulate prices and make unreasonable profits. Profiteers are selfish and greedy; they’re only interested in themselves. Philippians 2:4 says, “Do not be interested only in your own life, but be interested in the lives of others” (New Century Version).
A child of God must not allow himself to be taken over by the spirit of greed, the compulsive desire to accumulate material things. It drives people to pursue excessive gain as if they’re going to remain on earth forever.
Profiteering is not of God. It’s wrong for any Christian to give glory to God for any so called financial breakthrough that proceeds from profiteering! God doesn’t want that kind of glory.
It is true that the essence of business is to make profit, but there is a point where gain turns to greed! That is when someone is not contented with reasonable gain. One has no concern for the good of others (1 Corinthians 10:24).
1Timothy 6:6 says godliness with contentment is great gain. Beware of greed! The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Because of it, some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows (verse 10). Don’t join them.
Human life on earth is temporary; it’s likened to a shadow and a breath (Ecclesiastes 6:12; Job 14:1-2). A child of God is not of this present earth; he is a citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20).
According to 1 John 2:15, a child of God must stop acting the world’s ways; he must not love what the world can offer, for when he loves the world, he shows that he does not have the love of the Father in him.
This world is fading away, along with everything it craves. Only those who do the will of God will live forever (verse 17).
God hates all forms of cheating. Don’t say, “This is business; Christianity apart.” Proverbs 11:1 says, “The LORD hates cheating, but he delights in honesty” (New Living Translation).
Profiteering shows you don’t love others, thereby disobeying the Word of God. Avoid unethical practices. Don’t manipulate prices. Be satisfied with reasonable profit. The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and He adds no sorrow to it (Proverbs 10:22). What will it profit you, if you gain the whole world, and lose your soul? (Matthew 16:26; Mark 8:36; Luke 9:25)
PRAYER POINT: Father, I repent of all greed. I receive the spirit of contentment.
This is wisdom for living, and it’s worth sharing. Please share.
(For more inspiring messages, visit: www.cedarministry.org).
▪Banso, an Abuja-based minister, can be reached at Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria. cedarministryintl@yahoo.com, cedarministryng@gmail.com
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