Fearlessly Courageous
Desk of Dennis Piller
7/1/2021
Are you Investing in Eternity?
What is it you have to invest? We invest time in our relationships, our jobs, and our children. Some of us are able to invest in property, stocks, or bonds. We invest in our retirement because we know we are going to get old one day and we will need to lay up finances for those later days.
But the desire to invest comes from believing in what we are investing in. If we had no faith that our time and resources would yield us some reward, we just would not invest, period.
Most people, past, and present, often base their faith in the book of law or science and not in the person of Jesus Christ. I hate to say that but I believe it’s true. This concept of investing for eternity is SO much bigger than money! Jesus told His disciples that when they gave money away, their hearts would follow the treasures they were storing in Heaven (Matthew 6:19-21). He also said that at the Resurrection, God would reward them for helping the needy (Luke 14:14). Somehow we’re forever connected to what we give and the people we give it to.
Martin Luther has been credited with saying, “I have held many things in my hands and I have lost them all.
But whatever I have placed in God’s hands, I still possess.”
But once we believe that Jesus is the foundation for our faith, how, where, what and when do we invest to assure us our promised place in Heaven?
We can use our marriage. Eph 5: by loving our wives.
Our parenting skills, our leadership abilities, we leverage our finances to let others know how to be a good steward with God’s gifts.
We invest in our bodies, keeping them fit for God’s purposes, 1 Co 6:
We invest our time to serve others.
We invest our attitude of Christ to allow others to see Jesus through our actions and outlook on life.
Generosity Is Good for Everyone, Not Just Christians
In fact, modern research has much to say about the benefits of generosity. In their book The Paradox of Generosity: Giving We Receive, Grasping We Lose, sociologists Christian Smith and Hilary Davidson write about Smith’s findings on giving, which are based on years of careful studies. His conclusions may seem unexpected, but they shouldn’t be at all surprising to those who understand we’re created in the image of a generous God. They write, “Those who give, receive back in turn. By spending ourselves for others’ well-being, we enhance our own standing. . . . This is not only a philosophical or religious teaching; it is a sociological fact.”
God rewards people for generosity in this life as well as in the life to come. He does this because He is a God of grace and a lavish giver Himself.
Surprisingly, the Bible doesn’t talk that much about how giving changes
the lives of its recipients.
More often, it talks about what giving does for the one who gives.
I pray that thinking deeper on Investing Your Life Eternally will give you a bigger view of God and of generosity—one that stretches far beyond money and beyond this present life. And in the process, I pray that they will understand more than ever what investing in eternity is really all about.
Ephesians 5:16 pleads with us to make the most of every opportunity because the days are evil.
Remember, we have limited time to invest in the eternal future of not only our family and friends but for all those who have yet to sign over their lives to the living God. The time is now. Pray this week about asking God to help you be intentional about investing for eternity.
Lauren Daigle Look Up Child
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6Z359U77XY
