Jeremiah brought a scathing message to the leaders of Judah. These men and women rejected the Lord, worshipped foreign gods, and in Jeremiah’s understated but profound line, went after things that do not profit.

There’s a convicting thought. What things do I go after that do not profit?

Instagram reels immediately come to mind. While humorous and entertaining, does that hour pay dividends in the long run? Or chasing the news cycle across various platforms—do all the thoughts and opinions of commentators prove advantageous? I love football, but how many games in a weekend tip over into to a net loss? But let’s not get crazy…

Jeremiah spoke not of money but of the soul. A flourishing life and hope for eternity depends on our relationship with God. Anything that pulls us away, that separates us from the Lord falls into the category of things that do not profit.

Perhaps you’d like to take stock with me and think through your daily routine. Delete an app, or go for a walk and leave the phone behind when the urge to consume media gets too great. Whatever it takes, because as another well-quoted person in the Bible once said, what does if profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?

Jeremiah 2:8 & Mark 8:36

Photo by Emma Shappley