Page 7 - June 2015 Catalyst

a spiritual return on investMent
By Tony Evans
Not long ago, a friend of mine told me he bought a new home. Now I obviously didn’t tell him this, but the truth is that my friend didn’t really own “his” house. That’s be- cause the title to the home he claimed to own was actually in the possession of the bank. And it’s not until he paid off his mortgage that he would actually own the house.
My car... my phone... my clothes – common words we say in our everyday life.
Yet much like my friend didn’t really own his house, you and I are mere stewards over ev- ery single possession we have. That’s because the simple truth is that God owns everything. From your shirt to your shoelaces, “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it...” (Psalm 24:1).
But how does this truth actually affect the way we treat our possessions? Quite simply, when we understand that nothing is really ours, we begin to see what we have today as resources to invest rather than toys to simply enjoy. Not only does it affect our possessions this way, but it ought to affect how we use our time, what thoughts we entertain, the prayers we choose to pray, and much more.
Think about it. When you go to a financial planner, he’s going to talk to you about what you want to happen in your future. And to make that happen, he’s going to advise you to save and invest today so that you’ll reach your ultimate
goal. His job is to help you have a future-orient- ed perspective.
When it comes to spiritual investments, the goal is really no different. Like any earthly situation, you’ll want to invest in such a way that brings you the greatest return on investment. Biblical stewardship exists to set you up for your ultimate retirement in heaven, which will be a lot longer than your retirement on earth. And the truth is that what you do here on earth will play a large part in what you enjoy in heaven. In addition, it will also oftentimes produce fruit right down here on earth as well. That’s a double-return!
When we invest in advancing God’s kingdom here on earth, what we’re doing is thinking with a future-oriented mindset, laying up for our- selves “treasures in heaven, where moths and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:20). That’s bib- lical stewardship and a healthy attitude toward spiritual investment. We give God what’s really His anyway as an investment in the rewards we’ll receive in our eternal retirement.
There’s simply no safer investment. Here on earth, moths destroy, thieves steal, stock mar- kets crash, and money gets squandered. But when you invest your time, talent, and treasure in the eternal, your investments have a divine return.
None of what’s “ours” is really ours. It all belongs to God. So take what He lets you steward, in- vest it in His kingdom, and you’ll receive it back with interest as you maximize your eternal re- turns.
June 2015
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