Invest is defined by the online dictionary as: “to put money, effort, time, etc. into something to make a profit or get an advantage.”
As I’ve pondered what it means to invest, and considered that in light of eternity, it leads me to realize that the most profitable investment is to invest in the Lord and the things of His kingdom.
This world, this life, is flawed because of our sinful choice to rebel against God.
But God, through Jesus, provides us with the opportunity to choose to invest in what matters to Him.
What does it look like to invest in God and His kingdom?
It begins with our repentance, our sincere confession to God that He is everything, that we are nothing without Him, and that we are sorrowful over our sinful state, and that He alone has the remedy to our situation. We commit our life to Him, and live for His pleasure, and we are blessed incredibly!
SELAH [That is a Biblical term, generally meaning for us to pause and consider what has been said.]
Now that you’ve paused to consider the truth of the Gospel, that Jesus alone could, and did, pay the penalty for our sins, how have you responded to that truth?
If you have already made a commitment to Jesus, then what are you doing now, not yesterday, not tomorrow, but today, because of your commitment to Jesus? How are you investing in His kingdom?
Let’s begin with financial matters:
In Luke 12:33-34, Jesus instructs us to: “Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
If you look at your use of finances, it will provide you with a trail to where your heart truly relates to God and the world. What might God be saying to you as you consider this?
2 Corinthians 9:6 is a verse often quoted: “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.”
The truth of sowing and reaping applies not only to our finances, but to everything we have in this life. God owns everything [Psalm 24:1: “A Psalm of David. The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.”].
He lends to us our homes, vehicles, clothing, food, money, etc. We have a responsibility to invest these resources for His glory, for His kingdom’s growth and purposes. As we do that according to His will, we are blessed….now and for all eternity!
All of this requires that we must retrain our hearts and mind. Romans 12:2: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
The Bible is our resource for retraining our worldly thinking into what matters to God. This is not something we do on our own power, but it is something we must do in cooperation with God’s Holy Spirit. Philippians 2:13: “For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure.” Amplified Version
Whom should we invest in? We are called to invest in the people God brings into our lives. He will make it clear as we seek Him, and abide in Him.
Acts 20:35 states: “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Our human desire is to want for ourselves, but God tells us that when we belong to His kingdom, we must be generous to others.
1 John 3:17 challenges us to a higher level with God than the world dictates: “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?”
How are you investing in others with the resources God has given to you? If you have an extra bedroom, and someone needs a place to stay, how hospitable are you with that resource? If you know someone needs a ride to work, how willing are you to invest your time and the costs involved in using that resource God has entrusted to you to help that person?
1 John 2:15-17 are additional verses that challenge us to retrain our mindset: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”
God’s people want to invest in His kingdom, because this world is not the end. There is an eternal future for everyone, either with God, or separated from Him. How we live our lives reveals where our true treasure is.
We invest in God’s kingdom when we share the Gospel message, the Good News, with others.
I’m grateful God has pulled me from the fate I deserve, being eternally separated from Him.
I’m grateful God works in me to help me invest in His kingdom, His people, for His glory.
I’m grateful God is giving you this opportunity to repent of your sin, and to follow Him, so you can have the opportunity to invest in God’s kingdom.
God is in our world now, actively working through His Holy Spirit to lead people to Himself. Everyone has some experience with God, though most people deny that truth [Matthew 5:45: “so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”] No one knows how grievous it will be for those who choose to reject Christ, but the Bible provides some information regarding their future, and it is horrific.
Matthew 10:28: “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Matthew 25:41: “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”
Revelation 14:11: “And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”
Will you choose Jesus today if you have not yet done so? If Jesus is your Lord and Savior, will you make a greater commitment to Him today to invest with all you have for His kingdom?
Only investment into the kingdom of God will bring lasting value. Another way to invest in God’s kingdom is to help others retrain their minds through the study of God’s Word. How might God want you to do a study with one or more people?
As God’s people seek Him, He guides us so that we know how and what He wants us to invest ourselves and our resources in for His kingdom. Why not ask God, now, what His plans are for you?
I’d love to hear from you on how you are investing in God’s kingdom. Please contact me at: ButGodCares@gmail.com.
Living for Jesus, Donna
P.S. If this has helped you, please feel free to share it with others!
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Copyright 2024 Donna Shappy All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.