Spending or Investing?

Spending versus Investment

I love cars! In my lifetime, I estimate I have owned at least 25 different ones ranging from a tiny Miata to a huge Expedition.  This weakness for mobile novelty has cost me money that I could have used for better purposes, I’m sure. No matter how you look at it, a car (other than a collector’s item) is never an investment.  The moment a new vehicle is titled and driven off the dealer’s lot, it depreciates. Each month I set aside money for a purpose. I send it to my retirement account. It’s not nearly as exciting as buying yet another car, but over the years the money send to that account will grow in value. I spend on cars, I invest in my 401 (k) account.

Here’s my question for today. Are you spending or investing your life?  Are you building a treasure of relationships, people whose lives are improved because you exist? Or are you just alive, breathing, using up time chasing some excitement?

Jesus told a story about a man whose choices would be greatly admired by most Americans.  He was a good farmer who met with some great weather.  He enjoyed an amazing run of years of harvests that were huge! “He talked to himself: ‘What can I do? My barn isn’t big enough for this harvest.’ Then he said, ‘Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll gather in all my grain and goods, and I’ll say to myself, Self, you’ve done well! You’ve got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life!’” (Luke 12:17-19).  Sounds reasonable, right?  He had not stolen to gain his wealth. It was his and now he was going to spend it.  Isn’t the American way to accumulate a pile of resources, get the toys we want, free ourselves from obligation and start to spend time the way we want?

The Lord puts a shocking end on the story. “Just then God showed up and said, ‘Fool! Tonight you die. And your barnful of goods—who gets it?’ “That’s what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God.” (Luke 12:20-21, The Message)  He calls the Spender a Fool, which is strong language from the One who sees and knows everything, right down to the hidden motives of my heart.

Investors know the real value of their resources of time and money and they know how to calculate the true return. The Word offers this investment counsel: "Tell those rich in this world’s wealth to quit being so full of themselves and so obsessed with money, which is here today and gone tomorrow. Tell them to go after God, who piles on all the riches we could ever manage— to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous. If they do that, they’ll build a treasury that will last, gaining life that is truly life. … Guard the treasure you were given! Guard it with your life. Avoid the talk-show religion…” (1 Timothy 6:17-20, The Message)

I recently read the story of Granny Brand, mother of Dr. Paul Brand, well-known author and physician in India. She was born into privilege in England but early in life was called to serve the poorest of South India, an amazing choice for a single woman of 1900!  She went and met a man who shared her call.  For nearly a decade they served there without a single convert.  But their love and dedication eventually proved the Gospel they taught and they led a growing community of Christians. At age 70, the widowed Granny Brand was told by her mission board that she had to go back to England. But, her heart was in India, so she bought a horse and continued to ride to remote villages bringing medical care to the poorest. She served for another 24 years!  Her son said of her, that “he noticed a spiritual strength she had not shown before. And he found her younger–not in her body, but in her spirit. She had a deeper joy and peace. “This is how to grow old,” her son wrote.” Allow everything else to fall away, until those around you see just love. They will also see your own life renewed and they will recognize the love to be the love of God.”

Are you spending or investing? Only you can make that choice. May the Spirit help you choose wisely. 

Here’s the word from the Word.  “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become moth-eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves. Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be." (Matthew 6:19-21, NLT) - Jesus

(read more of Granny Brand’s story http://anniewald.com/2012/01/30/calebs-crew-granny-brand-or-life-begins-again-at-70/)

Captain of our ship, master of fate

Captain of our ship, masters of fate

Are you a planner? Do you have life mapped out for next 10 years, anticipating some big event?   James offers a sobering word of caution about that:

"Look here, you people who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog-it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:13-15, NLT)

Me, like the morning fog? Yes, even if our lives stretch out for 7 or 8 decades here on this earth, it’s not very long. If we are living in God’s will, though, we will never die! Oh, yes, our bodies will cease to function, but we will transit to an existence in His Presence. Knowing that, living in His will takes on new importance, doesn’t it?

But, what isHis will? Do you ever wish God would be clearer in His directions? We wonder if we should take that position or stay where we are, if we should invest in that effort or walk away, if it is the right time to buy a house, go to school, get married, go for a second career. We love our options. True disciples of Christ realize that all these questions are subject to One who sees beyond today. They hold onto

their plans loosely, ready to respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

How does that happen? Do you think that those people we read about in the Bible got their directions straight and clear all the time?  While reading the stories about Paul in the book of Acts, we could conclude that he prayed and that a voice from the heavens sounded in his ears, pointing him in the right direction. Well, think again.

“Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had told them not to go into the province of Asia at that time. Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not let them go. So instead, they went on through Mysia to the city of Troas.“Acts 16:6-8 NLT Study a map and you will find that these apostles wandered! They obviously didn't know where they were going!

The really impressive lesson in this passage is their faithful endurance. They kept walking and waiting. They pushed in one direction until the Spirit said, "No," then they went in another direction.  Maybe they wondered IF they had heard from God at all, but they kept moving forward. In the next few verses, we see that God led them into a new region and they were privileged to extend the borders of Christianity into Macedonia and Phillippi.

It is important to seek God’s will about the big issues I mentioned as I opened this thought, but the more critical choice is to live in obedience right now! There are things He has made abundantly clear for us. “Love others. Be forgiving. Do good works. Stay in fellowship with God’s people. Tell others about His love. Don’t steal, cheat, lie, lust, or hate. Keep a prayerful heart. Don’t gossip.” When we are living with a heart aligned to these directions, we can - yes, we will! - more readily be led in the so-called BIG decisions. A heart yielded to His Lordship is the key.

There are so many reasons we don't always sense the Spirit guiding us as powerfully as we would like:

-tests to deepen our trust,

-circumstances unknown to us that God knows and is working out for our good,

-sin that makes us spiritually 'hard of hearing,'

-pride and/or prejudice that He is rooting out of our lives, just to name a few.

If you're wandering and waiting, stay faithful! Keep praying. Don't sit down and feel sorry for yourself! God is alive and well. He is actively working out His plans and purposes, so keep the faith. Keep walking and waiting, listening and responding.

"In that day the people will proclaim, “This is our God. We trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, in whom we trusted. Let us rejoice in the salvation he brings!” (Isaiah 25:9, NLT)

_____________

Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah

Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,

Pilgrim through this barren land.

I am weak but Thou art mighty,

Hold me with Thy pow'rful hand.

Bread of heaven, Bread of heaven,

Feed me now and ever more!

Feed me now and ever more!

Open Thou the crystal fountain,

Whence the healing stream doth flow.

Let the fiery cloudy pillar,

Lead me all my journey through.

Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,

Be Thou still my strength and shield!

Be Thou still my strength and shield!

When I tread the verge of Jordan

Bid my anxious fears subside.

Death of death and hell's destruction,

Land me safe on Canaan's side.

Songs of praises, songs of praises,

I will ever give to Thee!

I will ever give to Thee!

John Hughes | Peter Williams | William Williams

Public Domain

BOILING over!

Rockne Newell went to the Ross, Pennsylvania township meeting full of rage. After killing three township officials, he was tackled by two residents and held until police arrived. His only regret, according to the police, was that he did not get to kill more people! Neighbors say that Newell is an intelligent, but eccentric man.  His property, in run-down condition and covered with trash, has attracted the attention of town officials for years.  Newell’s feud with the town escalated until this past Monday night when his rage boiled over into murder.

Are you angry with someone today? Is there a simmering resentment that comes to a boil when you see him? It’s time to deal with it, for Christ’s sake.  It’s not likely that your anger will turn into murder, or will it? 

Jesus said we become killers when we wish someone dead, when we exclude them from our hearts, not just when we pull the trigger!   He teaches,  “You’re familiar with the command to the ancients, ‘Do not murder.’ I’m telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder. Carelessly call a brother ‘idiot!’ and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell ‘stupid!’ at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill. “This is how I want you to conduct yourself in these matters. If you enter your place of worship and, about to make an offering, you suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against you, abandon your offering, leave immediately, go to this friend and make things right. Then and only then, come back and work things out with God." (Matthew 5:21-24, The Message)

We are most like our God when we release others from their debt to us, leaving judgment to the only One who is capable of true justice.  God forgave us, not because we deserved it, but because He is loving.  He desires a relationship with us even more than an even score!  Yes, there was, is, and will be justice before Him, but because of the offering of Jesus, we can find complete forgiveness for all our sins.  God does not do probation! "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust." (Psalm 103:11-14, NIV) Forgiveness is the godly choice, the healthy choice, the best choice. If you think carefully about resentment or hatred, you will see how must it costs you.  Carrying a grudge is your burden, weighing you down.  Keeping people shut out of our lives, being careful to make sure that they pay the penalty for offending us, is a time-consuming, energy-eating, draining task.  If we forgive, we are set free!

Let’s be real honest. Failure to forgive is really just an expression of self-love. When we get angry at someone who cuts us off in traffic, we are just saying, “I deserved to go first.”  Isn’t our resentment over spouse’s failure to be the person we dreamed they would be just selfishness disguised?  Humility moves us to let God judge, to trust Him to care for us. I hear your objection, “Pastor, I do matter.  I am worthy of respect.”  Yes, you are!  But, you can kill yourself demanding it, or you can forgive others and find the love that matters most:  the love of your Heavenly Father.  There are situations where we must, for the sake of ourselves and safety, remove ourselves from the presence of a toxic individual.  Even then, we need not wait for hate to give us a reason!  We can move towards wholeness, forgiving even that abuser, and leaving their judgment in the hands of God.

Here’s Jesus word.  Find freedom as you choose obedience. "Forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins." (Matthew 6:12-15, NLT)

__________

Father, I live with so much hatred.

The voices of critics fills my ears.

Fights, feuds, and fear divide nations,

Churches, families.

Please let me feel Your love.

Give me faith to receive Your promise of justice.

Secure my mind, my heart, in You.

Then, make me one who loves,

Who refuses to take revenge,

Who will not speak ill of others.

And help me, Lord, for Your sake,

To remember that  You “bless those who work for peace,

for they will be called the children of God.”

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

A Lesson from Chick-Fil-A

When you're at Chick-Fil-A, which is a chain of fast food restaurants, you get this reply to your inquiries: "It's my pleasure." It's classy, different, and memorable. You won't hear the more common, "You're welcome," or "Come again." The owner of the chain emphasizes warm customer service which is as much a part of the success as the food. You will be treated well when you eat there. As you enter this day, will you do so looking to be served, or seeking opportunities to serve?

The Scripture teaches us to live with a servant's spirit, a genuine willingness to put the needs of others before our own. Those who do this find themselves much happier than those who are constantly demanding respect. When Jesus' disciples became obsessed with the pecking order in their group the Gospel says that He "called them together and said, "You know that in this world kings are tyrants, and officials lord it over the people beneath them. But among you it should be quite different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must become your slave. For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:25-28, NLT)

Genuine service starts with a change in perspective, from 'me' to 'thee.' A person wrapped up in himself will not serve. He cannot because he does not see the needs that exist. He will walk right past the mess on the floor, not so much because he thinks he is too good to clean it up. He won't even see it. He will fail to offer encouragement to another, because he will not even see the pain in her face. A true servant will work to develop awareness of his environment, fine tuning his ability to read the emotions of others, and then he will actively move to serve.

Service is also shaped by a realignment of self-perception. The question is not, 'who will love me?' but rather, 'Because I am loved, to whom can I show love?' An insecure person will seldom serve well. He might serve with a motive of gaining affirmation, but that taints what he does. The moment he does not get the appreciation he seeks, he will become retaliatory. It's a story I have heard hundreds of times in my pastoral ministry. "Pastor, I'm not coming back to church. People there don't appreciate me. Mrs. Jones, for whom I've done so much, didn't even speak to me last Sunday." Or, "Pastor, I refuse to do (fill in the blank of ministry activity) anymore because I am just not appreciated. Others get thanks, but nobody even notices what I do." The person who is secure in the love of God, whose service to the Body of Christ is offered from a pure heart, who knows from Whom the greater reward comes, will not allow themselves such petty thoughts. IF they come, they will call them what they are, sin.

Service is liberating! There is real delight in knowing that someone will have a better day, that you have helped to lift the burden, that the world is just a fraction of degree better for your willingness to go beyond what is required to help somebody, encourage another, or complete a task.

Here's a word from the Word. Meditate on it, then go serve somebody. "To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst.When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person.... If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously."Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them!... If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that's charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that."I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You'll never-I promise-regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we're at our worst.Our Father is kind; you be kind." (Luke 6:27-36, The Message)

______________

Make me a servant, humble and meek.

Lord, let me lift up, those who are weak.

And may the prayer of my heart always be;

Make me a servant, make me a servant,

Make me a servant today!

Kelly Willard

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Work Matters to Jesus

Believe it or not, studies prove that Sundays are the day when people report feeling more depressed than Monday! After the activities of Saturday, an unstructured Sunday can leave a person restless, wondering why they feel so lethargic. Then, there’s Monday! How do you feel about it? Depressed about getting back to work? Eager to reconnect with friends? Dreading that first long meeting? Thankful that you have a job? Most of us feel mixed emotions about work. We’re glad to be employed, but wish we found more fulfillment in what we do.

Christian, the Bible says that our work matters to God!   

  

How we work is of concern to Him. That’s not just true about those of us who are ‘church workers.’ God cares about how you drive a truck, lead a project, string wire, manage an office, or care for your family. "Servants, do what you’re told by your earthly masters. And don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you’ll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t cover up bad work." (Colossians 3:22-25, The Message)That word was not written to people pursuing their passion in the arts or those receiving high wages in fair working conditions! The Holy Spirit spoke it originally to household servants who had come to Christ. Yes, it was written to people who had no rights, who worked long hours, who did hard, menial, manual labor.

Think about what it would mean to work for Jesus. He would not overlook your best efforts or be fooled by attempts to appear more diligent than you actually are. He would not play politics, favoring someone who does less but who has a pretty face! He would be fair in both compensation and advancement, basing them on real effort, not seniority or connections. He would protect you from the one who tries to marginalize your value to the team and He would see the petty digs you plant about your rivals. The truth is - as a Christian, you are working for Jesus! "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." (Colossians 3:23-24, NIV)

There are two misconceptions that poison our ability to work well and for Christ. First, some believe that 'work' is part of sin’s curse. A misunderstanding of the opening chapters of Genesis can lead us to believe that work only entered the human experience after Adam’s Fall. Eden’s paradise was work-free, some think. Fact is, God sent Adam to work from the moment of his creation. “Tend the Garden, name the animals, manage the earth,” He said. The entry of sin into the world did not bring the idea of work, it caused work to become toil! Where once work had produced results, now it was frustrated by weeds, sweat, and difficulty! Our work will include frustration, but work itself is not a curse, it is a means of being productive. Second, some divide work into that which is sacred (part of God’s realm) and that which is secular (part of this present world only). This artificial divide causes them to think that what they do to ‘earn a living,’ is less important. For the Christian, every part of life is sacred. Our lives, in totality, belong to God!

Change up Monday mornings. Take Jesus to work with you. He will make a difference - in you, in your workplace. No matter where we work, no matter what we do, our attitude and effort reflects on Christ Jesus, our Lord. So, let’s choose to honor Him by doing well!