If someone asked you what you were investing in, what would your first thought be? First off we might think that where we put our money is as sure a sign as any of what we're investing in. Some people invest in their future by putting money into education and saving accounts, while others put money into stocks and shares.
There's more than one way to show our commitment to something, and such dedication often needs to go beyond the distribution of finances. To achieve anything of great value we need to spend time and make sacrifices. It's not always a case of putting our money where our mouth is, sometimes we need a complete overhaul of where we're putting our money and what words we're speaking.
As Jesus' story of the poor widow generously donating her coins shows us, a financial donation only tells part of the story. None of these avenues of investment mentioned above are guaranteed to give us a good return. But one investment that never falls foul is the one we make when we give our hearts to Jesus.
The kind of investment that we're required to make when we follow Christ is the kind that means putting our all in. Like other investments, there are certain risks involved – losing friends, enduring suffering from those who wish us harm, but with Jesus, there's no risk in the end product.
Here are three areas that give us a good idea of where our heart and our treasure truly lies.
How you spend your time
Where we spend our time, who we spend it with and what we spend it doing are all good indicators of what we're investing in. We might treasure your alone time, or the time we get to spend with others but we should also treasure the time we spend with the Lord and the time we spend doing things to serve Him. Spending a few hours each week praising and praying to God isn't a hallmark of a secure investment. We need to raise your capital and dedicate more of our time to Him.
Examine how the amount of time you invest in growing your faith reflects how much you value it.
How you spend your money
How much do you care about coffee cups? How about fast food? How about new clothes? Our spending habits are often the most visible sign of where we're investing. We'd never say that we value any of the aforementioned things more than we value our faith, but when we look at our monthly outgoings, they can give a different impression. Most of us will probably admit that we could be more generous or more faithful with our finances if we cut down or cut out purchasing items and services that aren't essential or in line with our beliefs.
Do your statements reflect your Christian values?
How you use your body
We're encouraged to give ourselves as a living sacrifices to the Lord. Looking after our bodies as well as using them to serve the Lord are two ways that we can show our willingness to give ourselves to Him. By taking care of our health and distancing ourselves from practices which harm or abuse our bodies, we're in a better physical state to carry out works which point people to God and show our obedience to His commands. Denying ourselves of certain things, such as food items when fasting, is another way that we can demonstrate that we're fully invested in a future with Christ.
Does the way you treat your body prove that you've surrendered yourself completely to God?
