Inventory Control

Inventory Control

"So then each of us shall give
account of himself to God."
Romans 14:12

Fresh out of college, my first job at Kodak was as an inventory control analyst, with responsibility for making sure that what we said we had in the warehouse, millions of rolls of film, was actually there and ready to be shipped to customers. From x-ray film used in doctor's offices and labs around the world to good old Kodachrome film, used in cameras since way back in 1935 and sung about by Paul Simon in his 1973 song by the same name, Kodachrome, we had to check the inventory. And we didn't just check it once or twice a year, we did it constantly with daily alerts, weekly print-outs, monthly summaries and on and on and on.

In addition to making sure we had the product available to ship to customers, we also had to certify the financial records of the company, verifying their accuracy for the sake of shareholders, investors and auditors. In thinking back to those days, the process we went through helps me to understand better the need for each of us to take a constant inventory of the state of our hearts.

The Word of God makes it very clear that we will all stand before God and give an account for how we have lived our lives, how we have used the time and talents, the gifts and abilities that He has blessed us with. That is the reason for the encouragements to "redeem the time" and "make the most of every opportunity". That is why the parable of the talents in Matthew 25 has such a significant message for Christians in every generation. We have each been entrusted with 'talents" to use for God's glory and to build up His Kingdom. And we will all give an account of our faithfulness, or lack thereof, in using those talents as God intended.

On a regular basis, we should take inventory of our lives, looking at its' direction and our fruitfulness. We should take inventory of our faith level, of our joy and whether it is driven by circumstances or by faith, and certainly of the love we show to others when someone has hurt or disappointed us. We should take inventory of the way we use our time, of our investment in reading the Word of God, of our prayer life, and of our commitments to the Lord, to people, and to sharing the gospel to others, no matter how hard that might be. The end result will be a life lived purposefully.

Kodak devoted a department of 12 people to inventory control, out of a company that, at that time, employed over 62,000 people. Surely each of us can devote a little of our time to make sure that we are on track for our lives, living life as God intended.

God Bless
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church