When I was in Target the other day, I saw the employees of an inventory control company carefully counting every single item in that sprawling store. I shivered, as I thought of the idea of being employed in such a role. I am a self-proclaimed walking disaster area. There is no doubt about it. If a company entrusted me with their inventory process, the consequences would be dire. Bankruptcy for that unsuspecting corporation would not be out of the question. However, tomorrow morning, I am going to call on the church to conduct a very detailed inventory. Now that takes a lot of nerve on the part of a self-proclaimed walking disaster area. I have my reasons…

I am not sure any of us realize just how self seeking we really are in all of our important relationships. We enter marriage with the expectation that our spouse will meet a variety of emotional needs. We come to church expecting to be fed spiritually. We anticipate that our closest friends will be able to embrace us in a spirit of unconditional loyalty. Sometimes those very relational processes get short circuited, and we end up disappointed.

Marriages break up. Church members leave the congregation in a quest for something more spiritually meaningful. Friendships come apart at the seams. In the final analysis, the sun sets one day, and the darkness of loneliness sets in for the long haul. Can such a process be halted in its tracks?

It calls for a an inventory. It calls for a personal inventory of all the important relationships in our lives. You can’t take inventory without a list, so it means listing every important relationship. And then a penetrating question must be asked: What am I contributing to the other person’s life that is helpful and meaningful? What am I giving to the other person that is positive and enriching? Am I offering encouragement and comfort? Am I practicing good listening skills? What do I have to offer? That is the kind of inventory I am describing.

Target will find that their company is more profitable when they practice effective inventory control. They can know precisely what is on their shelves. They will in turn adjust their ordering practices accordingly.

I think we will find that our relationships are mutually profitable when we practice good inventory control. We will know if there are selfish atttitudes lurking on the shelves of our hearts. Such mindsets can be boxed up and dropped in the bottom of the ocean. They can be replaced with new attitudes that promote good will and long lasting friendships. Even a walking disaster such as myself can practice that kind of inventory control.