Is God A Secure Investment?
Is God a secure investment? Our immediate response is probably “Yes”. Jesus taught, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matt 6:19-20) The emphasis is that heaven is the only place where investments are insured against all losses. Earth, on the other hand, is assured to be a loss since we must all eventually leave what we have managed to accumulate.
So, is God a secure investment? Again, the believer’s response is “Yes”, but then we must ask, “So, where are our investments?” Words are cheap. Just acknowledging something to be true is shallow. As a wise person once said, “What we do is what we believe. Everything else is just meaningless talk!”
Recently, a church hosted a major mission conference. Over 600 people received commitment cards on which to express their faith that God would enable them to give a certain amount towards missions during the next twelve months. It was a simple faith-step; not nearly as binding as paying with a Visa card or signing a note for a car or home. It was simply a step of faith that they would invest what God enabled them to invest. Twenty-two cards were returned! That’s 3.6%. Is God a secure investment?
It makes you think. What do we really believe? We say that we are saved “by grace through faith”, and we know that the Bible commands us to “walk by faith and not by sight”, but is that the way we live? Do we have such a passion for the God Who saved us that we are earnestly trying to fulfill our purpose for being here? Is God a secure investment?
How can we be so flippant about our commitment to God and our faith in God? How can we spend so much on things that rust and decay, that become moth eaten and taken away by thieves but not trust God to use us in underwriting a program that has eternal rewards?
What do you say to a church that doesn’t seem to think that God is a secure investment? Well, I don’t know, but you'll probably hear it when He tells me!
So, is God a secure investment? Again, the believer’s response is “Yes”, but then we must ask, “So, where are our investments?” Words are cheap. Just acknowledging something to be true is shallow. As a wise person once said, “What we do is what we believe. Everything else is just meaningless talk!”
Recently, a church hosted a major mission conference. Over 600 people received commitment cards on which to express their faith that God would enable them to give a certain amount towards missions during the next twelve months. It was a simple faith-step; not nearly as binding as paying with a Visa card or signing a note for a car or home. It was simply a step of faith that they would invest what God enabled them to invest. Twenty-two cards were returned! That’s 3.6%. Is God a secure investment?
It makes you think. What do we really believe? We say that we are saved “by grace through faith”, and we know that the Bible commands us to “walk by faith and not by sight”, but is that the way we live? Do we have such a passion for the God Who saved us that we are earnestly trying to fulfill our purpose for being here? Is God a secure investment?
How can we be so flippant about our commitment to God and our faith in God? How can we spend so much on things that rust and decay, that become moth eaten and taken away by thieves but not trust God to use us in underwriting a program that has eternal rewards?
What do you say to a church that doesn’t seem to think that God is a secure investment? Well, I don’t know, but you'll probably hear it when He tells me!
1 Comments:
Tim,
Absolutely, God is a secure investment if you want to see him in heaven! I was quite saddened by the poor response to the World Mission Program Committment cards. I thought it was a great idea and said so to Greg English. Jemma and I are fully committed to support NRBC and it's local and international missions. I challenge all the membership to raise your annual committment to our missions program as we did this year. Do not store up your treasures here on Earth where they can rust and be eaten by moths, rather, store up your treasures in heaven by titheing and being generous with your earthly gifts. If you do this God will surely reward you with love and grace.
Blessings,
John Prosch
Post a Comment
<< Home