Investing In The Future

“Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.” – Proverbs 21:5

I’m asking you the question, “What do you want in life?” Your answer to the question today is going to determine what your future is going to be. Right now, the stock market has gone wild, seemingly setting a new record each week. But the record highs mean little if you did not invest when stocks were lower and thus more affordable. If you had bought low, you would be looking at some very wise investments indeed. 

There is no use praying to have something better tomorrow if you’re not willing to make some investments today. If you’re praying for better children, what investment are your putting into them. If you’re praying to improve a relationship, what investments are you making. If you’re praying for a better job, what investments are you making. If you’re praying to grow in God, what investments are your making.

There is a story in Luke 19 about a nobleman and his slaves. It is a story on how they increased their power by investing in the future. The nobleman was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but he didn’t rest on his laurels or sit at home waiting for more benefits to come his way. Instead, he was seeking to maximize his power by obtaining an even higher royal position. The parable doesn’t spell out the details, but somehow he overcame the opposition of the people. Apparently, he was able to convince them he would make a good king.

Before embarking on his trip, he took the time to summon ten of his slaves, to give them each an amount of money, and to instruct them to carry out his business in his absence. Two of the slaves invested in the future by doing exactly as their nobleman master told them to do. They obediently, resourcefully, and responsibly used his money to do his business. Their positive efforts brought about financial increase for their master, and earned them each a significant job promotion, wherein they would respectively rule over ten cities and five.

The parable tells us that the third slave wasn’t so resourceful or efficient. He believed investing in the future was to do nothing, to be extremely cautious. Whatever his perspective, instead of investing in the future, the third slave did nothing to improve his lot in life and severely limited his future potential.

The question is where do we fit into this scenario. Do we invest in the future or do we we do nothing and hope for the best? Have you thought of ways you can powerfully invest in your business or career? In your retirement savings? We are not talking about money only here. God wants us to be powerful agents of positive change in our world. Are we willing to invest our time and our efforts? Are we investing in the lives of others? Are we investing in the children and youth?

Discussion Questions:

1. Why do you think it’s so hard to save and invest? Do you have any ideas or tips that have made saving and investing more doable for you?
2. What will your life look like in 30 years if you start saving and investing more now? What if you don’t?