Investing Wisely

In this generation of materialism, societal pressure to accumulate wealth, vehicles, ATV’s, boats, build a new home or travel to exotic destinations, often leads to stressful debt loads for young families who all too often find themselves enslaved to working long hours to finance their desired standard of living.  Advertising that entices us to live life to the fullest and books that promise ways to “live your best life now” have resulted in worldly values that focus on immediate gratification without concern for true wellbeing and inner peace.  “Keeping up with the Jones’s” has become common practice and is accompanied by a sense of entitlement that prevails among generation Z citizens in developed countries.

Furthermore, European and North American young people are less likely to be influenced by religious values than a generation ago which stands in contrast to populations in the rest of the world, where religion is experiencing growth. This phenomenon is also linked to education and income which in turn influence fertility rates and demographics. These factors comprise the dynamics of the worldview held by those seeking happiness and eudemonia in the current, turbulent epoch in human history, and directly influence priorities and investment decisions when it comes to crucial ethics. Spiritual health is every bit or more important than physical health and neglecting one’s spiritual health can have eternal consequences.

In fact, material wealth can have a detrimental effect on one’s spiritual health because when all of their physical needs are met they are not compelled to reach out to God for comfort.  Some of the most materially impoverished people in the world are the most spiritually wealthy and many materially wealthy people are spiritually bankrupt.  Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Mathew 6:19-21.

Keeping things in the proper perspective can significantly alter our worldview and motivate us to change the way we live to ensure we are indeed investing wisely in our future.  In the eighth chapter of Mark’s gospel, Jesus is recorded as saying, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?  Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” Mark 8:36-37.

Indeed, if you could be shown the priceless value of an eternal destiny in heaven, compared to the alternative, would you not redirect your investment to that great return?  Jesus often spoke in parables to illustrate his message and in Mathew 13:44-46, we find two concealed gems in scripture.  “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.  When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.  When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”

The value of eternal life in God’s kingdom far exceeds all the wealth that the earth can hold.  More than all the gold, diamonds, or any currency ever created by man.  More than fame, power or anything your imagination could possibly desire.  Additionally, earthly wealth is temporal wealth.  The human lifespan is a mere drop in an ocean of eternity.  The finitude of life is a reality that a great many people would rather avoid than confront.  The Psalmist wrote, “As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.” Psalm 103:15-16.

The Prophet Isaiah tells us that God is infinitely greater than princes and rulers of this world, “No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.” Isaiah 40:24.  And 1 Peter 1:24 reminds us, “For all men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.”

If this life is all we have, then a life well lived is a sign of wisdom, however, when its over, no wealth can be taken beyond the grave.  It has been said of those who live to become wealthy in this life but do not prepare for the afterlife, are wise for a day but fools for eternity.  Furthermore, how many of those who strive for earthly wealth truly achieve it and how many more never accumulate what they had hoped for?  How many casualties are strewn along the road to that mansion?  How many families have paid the price for one parent or the other to stand in the spotlight?

In reality, nearly half the world lives on less than $5.50/day.  Half of the world’s wealth belongs to the top 1%, while the top 10% holds 85% of the world’s wealth and the bottom 90% hold the remaining 15%.  Yet, our secular world insists upon living life with complete disregard for how brief, how fragile and how finite life is, focusing on selfish desires and personal fulfillment often at the expense of those less fortunate.

Corporations feed off of the vulnerability of the poor by tempting them through advertising suggesting they can buy a higher standard of living and prosperity preachers prey upon the poor by offering hopes of wealth by twisting scripture to coerce grocery money from those who can least afford to donate with the promise of a return of ten times or a hundred fold.  These propagators of fraud miss the context of scripture (Mark 10:30), teaching material wealth while Jesus is speaking of spiritual value and acknowledges that blessings will be accompanied by persecutions in this life.

Indeed, all of the disciples left everything they had, including homes, family and friends, only to be persecuted and killed for the sake of Christ.  The apostle Paul echoed these sentiments in 1 Corinthians 15:19, “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we of all people are most to be pitied.”  If we are to be imitators of Christ as Paul advises in 1 Corinthians 11:1, we must deny ourselves by forsaking our worldly values in favor of godly living.  For this we will be ostracized, ridiculed and persecuted by the worldly, just as Jesus was and just as so many believers have been throughout Christian history.

When Jesus was tempted by Satan (Mathew 4:1-11), the deceiver offered him all manner of material wealth, from food to the kingdoms of the earth.  Jesus, knowing the value of God’s eternal kingdom was immeasurably more valuable, declined his offer.  When we surrender ourselves to the Holy Spirit we gain the guidance of Christ who has paved the way for us to be children of God and co-heirs to his kingdom with Jesus.

Furthermore, living at peace with God is the epitome of living the good life here and now and is worth giving everything up for that only leads to spiritual poverty. We don’t have to wait for heaven to experience God’s love and blessings that lead to true wellbeing.  Paul advises in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Our life on earth may be brief but it is just the beginning of our existence. When Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Mathew 7:13-14, he wasn’t speaking about an end but a beginning. Physical death is the gate but it is simply a gateway.

Beyond the grave is eternity with an eternal life offered by an eternal God for all those who believe in his one and only Son, Jesus Christ.  An eternal life worth more than billions of earthly lifespans where he will wipe away all our tears.  “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:4.

We have an opportunity in this life to sincerely contemplate the things of God.  We are provided with a window in time to question the hidden mysteries of scripture and discover who God is.  He gives everyone the freedom of choice to determine for ourselves how we spend our life on earth and where we spend eternity, and he will not violate his own laws of science to coerce us into any particular course of action.  Our ultimate destiny is determined by our investment decisions, however, he has made it easy for us to make the right choices by revealing himself to us through scripture and through the amazing testimony of Jesus Christ.