Investing That Counts

Imagine someone with $50,000 to invest. He visits a financial consultant who presents several opportunities. At one end of the spectrum is an uncertain investment; if it meets the most optimistic projections, the return will be 5%. At the other end of the spectrum is an investment with a guaranteed 15% return. Several other options lie somewhere in the middle.

Surely this man would not put all his money into the 5% option. In fact, it is incomprehensible that he would put any of his money into that investment. It also seems inconceivable that he would divide his money, putting half into the 15% option, and the other half into various other investments. With a guaranteed return, a wise man would certainly place all his money into the 15% opportunity.

I remember when this principle impacted me in the spiritual realm. My thinking was shaped by Matthew 6:19-21. "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Consideration of these verses strengthened my resolve to continue the spiritual investing I was already doing, and it stretched me to want to do more. I wanted to be careful not to waste my money on things of little value, but rather to devote it to investments that really mattered.

As I pondered this Bible passage, I saw a spiritual parallel to my opening illustration. Every Christian has an amount of money to invest. He has options for where to invest that money; those options have varying thresholds of predictability and differing levels of return. Some options will yield little, while others will yield much. Some investments are uncertain, while others are guaranteed.

There is also a spiritual parallel to the decision-making part of the illustration. As in the material realm, a wise Christian investor would choose the option that is guaranteed and that will yield the greatest return. It would be illogical to squander his resources for minimal or relatively meaningless reward. Instead, a wise Christian would invest as much of his money as possible in investments that guarantee rewards of incredible value - investments in heaven.

In general, Christians are so influenced by the world's philosophies and values that they don't even realize the extent of their resources given to relatively meaningless (and quite temporal) investments. Yes, some earthly investments have eternal value, particularly when their purpose is to minister to one's own family or to others. I also acknowledge that each individual is responsible to make his own choices based on God's leading in his own life. Having said that, following are examples of how a believer might free up some capital that he can use in eternal investments.

A Christian could live in a smaller or simpler house, rather than striving to find something larger or more elegant. He could drive a car at the lower end of the price range, rather than buying an attention-grabbing car (or two or three) with all the options. She could maintain a smaller wardrobe bought from second-hand sources, rather than purchasing name-brand clothing and enough shoes or purses to stock a small store. A believer could take his family on simple getaways, rather than spending significant resources on lavish vacations.

There are many aspects that a Christian can evaluate and adjust, thus accruing more money for spiritual investing. Modern communication and entertainment absorb large quantities of money through laptops, smart phones, tablets, iPods, satellite or cable TV, big-screen televisions, and so on - with people often owning multiple devices that do the same thing and then updating them every year or two. Other expenditures that can add up significantly include hobbies, collections, decorations, landscaping, clubs or memberships, magazines, jewelry, expensive gifts, restaurants, and relaxation activities. When it comes right down to it, most of these things have one purpose: providing temporary pleasure. Many of them also contribute to one's perceived status to others.

I'm not saying that any of these are wrong in and of themselves. They have some value. My question is whether they are the best investments a believer can make. When he devotes so much of his resources to these temporal things, is he limiting the investment he can make in eternal things? Is he settling for a 5% return, a 2% return, or even a 0% return, when the same resources, invested differently, could earn eternal rewards of 15%, 100%, 1000%, or more?

Spiritual investing can take many different forms. Following are some suggestions: Christian education (including college) for one's children, helping a missionary with a special project, supporting missionaries on a regular basis, helping a struggling college student who is preparing for the ministry, giving for a special need of the church, donating Bibles to organizations that will pass them to needy people, supporting a Christian school ministry, giving to a Christian brother in need, reaching out in love to the lost community, taking a missions trip, or a special gift for the pastor.

Such giving should be planned into the budget. It could include both regularly committed giving as well as discretionary giving - money budgeted each month to be distributed to needs that present themselves in that month. If such giving is not planned, available money will be given to the less profitable investments listed in previous paragraphs, and it will seem that no money is left for spiritual investing.  

I encourage each reader to consider this question: "What changes can I make that would allow me to divert money ($20, $50, $100, or more per month) from worthless or temporal investing and redirect it into investments with great and eternal value?" If there is an inner protest, an insistence that he could do other things with that money to enhance his life, then does that believer truly believe God when He says there are heavenly investments that are far better than the ones man can make on earth? Does he sincerely value eternal things? It is better to be a poor man on earth with treasures in heaven than to be a rich man on earth with little to show in heaven.

"But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven." Matthew 6:20 (NASB)