Investing is about putting money, time, and/or effort into
something today with the expectation of a return in the future. Investing demands discipline and patience,
doesn’t it? 35 years ago, when my income
was meager compared to the present, a person I trusted talked to me about my
future and encouraged me to set aside a small amount of money every time I was
paid, putting it into my 403 (b) account.
I took his advice and set aside $30 from every check, a pittance really,
but it was a start. John told me to ‘forget’ it, to let it grow, and to keep it
up. Times came when I really ‘needed’ to
keep that money for the present. I stayed with the plan, increasing the amount
set aside over the years as my income grew. When I saw that account balance turning
into 6 figures, I faced the temptation to ‘borrow’ it. Now, as I approach those years when I will no
longer have a regular income, I am so thankful for that man who pressed me to invest.
Spending is easy
compared to investing!
Spending provides immediate gratification. Buying something
I desire is fun. Sending money off to that retirement account makes it seem to
just disappear, out of my hands, unavailable to me right now. Investing is like
seed planting, anticipating another season.
Serving the Lord is
definitely more like investing than spending, isn’t it?
Each day we are given time, energy, resources to use. Some
of us spend it all, some of us even mortgaging our future to get something we
want today. Making worship a regular
practice is hard when Sunday comes and there are a thousand things that are more fun in that moment. Giving our time to service – teaching,
caring, loving – can be tough. When we commit to a ministry that requires us to
show up, to do well, it limits our ‘freedom’ to do what we desire. Becoming
part of a small group of disciples that grow together is not always fun and
certainly demands that we set aside our own agenda. Giving to our church, the
tithe (10%), sometimes causes us to look at that money and think, “My family
could enjoy _______________ (you fill in the blank) if I kept that money in my
checking account.”
Will we invest in those situations, anticipating a return in
the future, perhaps not even until eternity, or will we just spend?
The preacher named Malachi spoke God’s message in a time of
relative prosperity. The people of the Lord were struggling with keeping God
first, with investing themselves in Him.
Instead of wholehearted serving and giving, they were choosing a course
of minimal participation. God was offended by their attitude and sent this
word. “Isn’t it true that a son honors
his father and a worker his master? So if I’m your Father, where’s the honor?
If I’m your Master, where’s the respect?” God-of-the-Angel-Armies is calling
you on the carpet: “You priests despise me! “You say, ‘Not so! How do we
despise you?’ “By your shoddy, sloppy, defiling worship. “You ask, ‘What do you
mean, “defiling”? What’s defiling about it?’ “When you say, ‘The altar of God
is not important anymore; worship of God is no longer a priority,’ that’s
defiling. And when you offer worthless animals for sacrifices in worship,
animals that you’re trying to get rid of—blind and sick and crippled
animals—isn’t that defiling?” … God-of-the-Angel-Armies asks you." (Malachi
1:6-8, The Message)
When we regard serving the Lord and giving to His work as
just another cost of life like the
electric bill or our taxes, we will seek to do only what is necessary, limiting
the expense so to speak. And, that is exactly how so many Christians live.
Serving the Lord is not an investment in eternity. There is no delight, no joy,
in Him. So many other things are allowed
to crowd out worship and prayer. God is given the left-overs, as if He were
worth what ‘we can afford.’
Wise Christians regard Him as their true Treasure and they invest in Him. We must not say, “I will invest when there is
more time or money.” The truth is that
with the increase comes more opportunity to feed Self, and without the
discipline of investing learned early, we will not choose to give at all. Jesus explains, "Let me tell you, it’s easier to gallop a camel through a needle’s eye
than for the rich to enter God’s kingdom. … but anyone who sacrifices home,
family, fields—whatever—because of me will get it all back a hundred times
over, not to mention the considerable bonus of eternal life." (Matthew
19:24, 29, The Message)
Here are the ancient words of Preacher Malachi. May they
challenge our habits of spending and cause us to invest. “Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! “But you ask, ‘What
do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’ “You have cheated me of the tithes
and offerings due to me. You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been
cheating me. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough
food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open
the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t
have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!" (Malachi
3:8-10, NLT)
_______________
Take My Life And Let It Be
Take my life and let
it be
Consecrated Lord to
Thee
Take my moments and my
days
Let them flow in
ceaseless praise
Let them flow in
ceaseless praise
Take my silver and my
gold
Not a mite would I
withhold
Take my intellect and
use
Ev’ry pow’r as Thou
shalt choose
Ev’ry pow’r as Thou
shalt choose
Take my will and make
it Thine
It shall be no longer
mine
Take my heart it is
Thine own
It shall be Thy royal
throne
It shall be Thy royal
throne
Take my love my Lord I
pour
At Thy feet its
treasure store
Take myself and I will
be
Ever only all for Thee
Ever
only all for Thee
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