And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. – Luke 19:13, KJV

According to Harry Heintz:

“During his 1960 presidential campaign, John F. Kennedy often closed his speeches with the story of Colonel Davenport, the Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives: On May 19th, 1780, the sky of Hartford darkened ominously, and some of the representatives, glancing out the windows, feared the end was at hand. Quelling a clamor for immediate adjournment, Davenport rose and said, ‘The Day of Judgment is either approaching or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment. If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. Therefore, I wish that candles be brought.’ Rather than fearing what is to come, we are to be faithful till Christ returns. Instead of fearing the dark, we’re to be lights as we watch and wait.”  

This world is indeed dark, and sometimes it’s so scary that curling up in the fetal position seems like a better way to deal with it than fighting the good fight. Yet the Parable of the Pounds in Luke 19 makes it clear that we aren’t supposed to sit by and do nothing; we are to occupy until Christ comes back. “Occupy” in Luke 19:13 is the Greek word pragmateuomai (pronounced prag-mat-yoo’-om-ahee), which means:

1. to be occupied in anything
2. to carry on a business
3. to carry on the business of a banker or a trader

We are to be about the business of life, and as Christians we are to do business God’s way. Doing business “God’s way” means being salt and light when we don’t feel like it, defending the faith when the hounds of hell are upon us, proclaiming the truth when everyone would rather believe in lies, and competing for the souls of our family, friends, and neighbors against the very devil himself. I know, it’s not easy occupying. But, when we finally do get to enjoy the sin-free, joy-filled, peaceful existence of Heaven, we’ll be a whole lot more contented by looking back on a life filled with transacting God’s business than by looking back on one filled with spiritual idleness.