August 4, 2008

 Make Wise Investments!

The other day as I was doing my quiet time (spending time with God in prayer and study) the Lord spoke clearly to me, “You are an investment.” I had been working on some different projects for our various websites and ministry activities and the issue of valuing ourselves had come up.

If you are anything like me you never really think of yourself like that. You think more of others and their value than you do of yourself and you will spend your time, talent, energies, emotions and even your finance to encourage or invest in their future.

When we think of investments we think of stocks and bonds, but that morning God revealed to me the investments we make in people, our families, our relationships, our jobs, etc. We make investments of time, talent, money, our gifts and our emotions. Most of us invest in others easily but sometimes find ourselves disappointed or hurt when others do not make similar investments in us.

That particular morning God wanted me to know and to share with each of you that you are valuable. He has placed gifts and talents in each one of us. He has already invested in us and we are valuable to Him. We are priceless in His sight. God has invested a great deal in each one of us and He does not invest in junk. He invests in that which has value.

We should not just be investing we should also be invested in by those who surround us. While we are giving we should also be receiving.

When we invest in each other we are also investing in the kingdom. We are honoring God. When we invest in each other there will always be a return on our investment. In the financial world that is known as the ROI. If we invest positively we can expect a positive return, however, if we invest negatively, by our words, criticism, angry words and put downs, we can expect a negative return on the investment we made. Whatever we invest we need to invest wisely. Many of us have found ourselves investing in people that did not intend us any good. In those cases we made some bad investments.

We chose the wrong stock to invest our time, talent, emotions and money in. Be prayerful before you make the investments, because just like with stocks and bonds some of them will never yield a good return. The company or foundation that the stock is based on is not a good one. In your case you may be investing God’s time, talent, gifts and finance in someone that has not yet chosen to be obedient to the Lord. It may eventually turn around but you have to be prepared to wait it out. It may be the man or woman that goes against the word of God and chooses to become involved in a relationship with a non-believer, now contrary to everything the word of God says and everything that God is speaking in their hearts they have chosen to marry this person, ignoring all of the warning signs.

Yes, there will be a return on that investment. What it will be we cannot say. How long will it take for the return, we do not know. The question you have to ask is do I want to proceed with this type of investment, knowing that it goes against the will of God. One thing is guaranteed. Every investment will result in some type of return, whether it is a good one or a bad one.

We have to remember when making the investment that the return may be slow so we have to be determined to stick it out for the long haul.

Some stocks rise quickly, while others take a while, rising slow and steady. The ones that rise slow and steady are usually not the fly by nights. They will probably be around a while. Just like our relationships we want our stocks to have a solid foundation, so that when changes in the situation and circumstances come we know that they will be able to weather the storm. When we make our initial investment it may not look like much but over the course of time we begin to see the return. Those are the relationships and stocks we want to hold on to. We have to be careful that when the ups and downs of the relationship hit us just like the stocks we don’t cash in to early and miss the real return.

The company I work for went through some major financial difficulties. Some of the employees that were forward thinking and realized it was just a phase and that the company would come out of it and turn around were insightful enough to buy some of the stock when it hit rock bottom. Unfortunately, I did not think about it. Well they were correct in their investment and everything turned around. The stock is back up and they each made a huge return on their investment, buying for $1 per share and selling for $30. They knew they were making a wise investment. The fact that the company was struggling with financial problems did not rule it out.

Our relationships are like that. Don’t bail out at the first sign of trouble, that may just be the market shifting to see who is really serious and who just jumped in because it looked good. If you know you made a good investment. You felt good about it from the beginning and you know it was God directed, hold on and wait to see how the market/life and circumstances turn around. It will take faith to hold on when everything is beginning to look bad, but if you have the faith God has the power.

One word of caution or we will call it wisdom. When choosing your investment, invest in God first. Pray and ask Him to give you clear direction in which stocks and situations to invest in. He is the best Stock Broker you could ever have. If He told you to invest in that stock, do not sell until He tells you to, because He knows exactly when the stock will rise and He knows that there will be shifts in the market and your circumstances, stuff to get you to give up or sell to soon. If you really believed in what you invested in hold on, don’t give up to soon and miss your ROI (Return On Investment).

Remember that you are an investment also. Invest in God first then invest in you. Let other people invest in you, even greater than that expect people to desire to invest in you. Whoever makes the investment is going to get a great Return On their Investment as well, because you are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of Christ.

Weekly Scripture:
Matthew 25:14-30: Parable of the Three Servants

 14 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. 15 He gave five bags of silver[a] to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip. 16 “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. 17 The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. 18 But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.

19 “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. 20 The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’ 21 “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together! [b]'

22 “The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’ 23 “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’

24 “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. 25 I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’ 26 “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, 27 why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’

28 “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. 29 To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. 30 Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

New Beginnings 2008 Workout Focus
10,000/steps per day or 70,000/steps per week Walking Program*

This is the fitness opportunity that New Beginnings is promoting for 2008. It is simple and easy and almost everyone can participate at whatever level of fitness they are at. All you need is a good pair of walking shoes, comfortable clothing, a pedometer, and you're all set.
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