When looking to invest money, we've got to be wise and invest in the right places, places where our money will surely grow. Who wants to invest only to lose hard-earned money anyway?
Perhaps you might be surprised why there's such an investment article in a Christian website that teaches Christian values to Christians and those who seek Christ. Well, the Lord is Lord over everything, including the finances of those who follow Him. He teaches us to follow Him, not riches.
In fact, we are to let our riches follow and obey Him too:
"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." (Matthew 6:24)
God loves investing
Did you know that God loves investments too? In Matthew 25:14-30 we read of the Parable of the Talents, where a man who was set to go abroad left some talents (or some resources) to three of his servants, sort of an investment in them.
Later, the same man returned to his servants to check his gains and found that while two of his servants made the capital grow, one of them merely buried it for fear that he will fail in making it grow.
The man, utterly disappointed at the third servant, took his investment from him and cast him out. It sounds quite harsh at the end, but that's how it is: God has invested heavily in us and wants us to grow what He invested in us.
Did you know that God paid a very high price to invest in us? He created us, sent His only Son to redeem us from sin, worked hard to adopt us as His own children, and even deposited His Holy Spirit in us as a guarantee that we belong to Him. He has gifted us with His word, individual skills, and His Holy Spirit, just so that we'd succeed in doing His will on earth.
Yes, friends, God has invested heavily in us.
Invest wisely
Having said all of that, we've got to understand that all our investments should count. Here are some things to consider in making investments.
1) It has to last for eternity
The Lord Jesus tells us that when we invest, it has to be for eternity and not just for now. He said in Matthew 6:19-20,
"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."
How do we do that? By investing in those who work hard in preaching the Gospel to both the lost and the found. When we provide for the needs of those who have dedicated themselves to serving the Lord in the preaching of the word to all, we invest in heaven.
2) It has to please God
Our investments should also please God. I'll give just one surefire way to do that: by giving to the poor. Proverbs 19:17 tells us,
"He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given."
That's true, friends. When we give to the poor, we give to the Lord, who will repay us nicely. Our resources don't go to waste as we help the poor and needy among us; it actually gets counted in the sight of God.
3) It reveals our heart
Friends, our hearts are revealed by the direction where our money goes. If we keep spending on earthly things, our heart is full of love for earthly things. If our riches keep blessing the poor or the preaching of the Gospel, then our hearts are found to go that way, too. Matthew 6:21 tells us,
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Before we invest, we should evaluate our hearts and choose to point it towards God. He blesses us for our enjoyment alright, but He desires that He will be our delight and nothing else.
