Question 1

How can I be more motivated to invest in spiritual things?

Accepted Answer

Deuteronomy 7:25“You must burn their idols in fire, and you must not covet the silver or gold that covers them. You must not take it or it will become a trap to you, for it is detestable to the Lord your God.”Job 1:21“The Lord gave me what I had.”Luke 12:33“Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it.”Because we as people have a strong tendency to want more things, materialism has great power to turn us away from God. The problem is not necessarily with the things themselves but with our focus on acquiring and managing wealth. It can easily begin to consume all our time and push God out of our lives. Investing money for the future is important, but investing in God’s work and in the lives of others pays dividends for eternity. Our monetary investments become worthless to us when we die—none of them can go with us. We should consider and evaluate our spiritual investments. What treasures have we been storing up for eternity?

Question 2

What are some spiritual investments that I can make?

Accepted Answer

Deuteronomy 4:6“Obey them [God’s instructions] completely, and you will display your wisdom and intelligence among the surrounding nations. When they hear all these decrees, they will exclaim, ‘How wise and prudent are the people of this great nation!’”1 Peter 2:12They will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.3 John 1:3Some of the traveling teachers recently returned and made me very happy by telling me about your faithfulness and that you are living according to the truth.Building a God-focused reputation is a spiritual investment. Time invested in obeying God results in a reputation that brings honor and respect. Reputation is the yardstick that others use to measure our character, who we really are. We can build a good reputation by investing consistent, godly behavior into each moment.1 Kings 5:1King Hiram of Tyre had always been a loyal friend of David. When Hiram learned that David’s son Solomon was the new king of Israel, he sent ambassadors to congratulate him.Matthew 7:12“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you.”Building strong, God-centered relationships is a spiritual investment.Matthew 10:42“If you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.”Luke 6:38“Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”Giving, at its most basic level, is investing our time, money, and other resources and possessions in others and in God’s work on earth. Giving is a remarkable concept, originating in the heart of a giving God who invests more blessings on his people than we ever deserve or should expect (read what God gives in Numbers 6:24-26).

Investments