Read: I Thessalonians 2:17-20
When you invest your money in something, you expect to get that money back. Actually, that’s not entirely true, is it? When you invest money, you expect to get more money back. You don’t put $100 in a savings account hoping to still have that same $100 in 20 years. You want that money to accrue interest. You want that money to make more money. Likewise, you don’t buy stock thinking it’s going to sell at the same price. You make that investment hoping to come out ahead when all is said and done. Most people expect to get a good return on their investments.
But, how does this apply to our investment in people? We don’t invest in people expecting to get more people, do we? I’m not even sure what that means, actually. Why, then, do we invest in people? What return should we expect on our investment?
Well, Paul’s relationship with the church in Thessalonica sheds some light on the answers to those questions. Certainly, the words of I Thessalonians 2 show that he had already reaped some dividends from his relationship with the Thessalonians. They were his “hope” and “joy.” Their friendship their friendship and their fellowship in Christ was an immense encouragement to him. Paul delighted in his relationship with this church and their love for him had already repaid everything he had invested.
But, there’s another phrase in this passage I find interesting. Paul tells this church in Thessalonica that they are “the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when He comes.” According to Paul, he planned to celebrate this church on the day of Christ returns. He expected them to be part of his reward in heaven. Though he enjoyed a great relationship with the Thessalonians in the here-and-now, Paul most looked forward to the life they would all have together in eternity.
What a phenomenal thought! As Paul considered all this church had already brought to his life, he realized that the best is yet to come. Their relationship here on earth simply looked forward to the one they would have in heaven. Paul rejoiced in the fact that these believers would be part of his life forever. His investment in them, though it paid temporary dividends now, would give him a great return for all of eternity.
That’s exactly what we want when we invest in others, isn’t it? We don’t want our investment in them to pay financial dividends; we want it to pay eternal dividends. We invest in others because we want to see them come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. We want to see them person standing beside us in heaven. Our goal isn’t to get something as temporary as money. Our goal is to strike up a friendship that will echo throughout eternity.
This thought ought to guide you as you invest in the lives of those around you. You should invest your time in someone else hoping to get infinity out of it. You should invest your life in another hoping that they come into eternal life as a result of it. If need be, you should even invest your money and possessions in them hoping to gain heavenly treasures in the End. Our goal in investing should always be to win others over to Christ—to find “the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when He comes.”
Can you imagine what it will be like to make an eternal difference like that? What will it be like for us to know that we did something to change another person’s life—not just now, but for all time? How amazing would that be? Max Lucado invites us to imagine this very thing in When Christ Comes:
“Think about the day Christ comes. There you are in the great circle of the redeemed. Your body has been made new – no more pain or problems. Your mind has been made new – what you once understood in part, you know understand clearly… Though you are one of a throng, it’s as if you and Jesus are all alone. And He asks you this question. I’m speculating now, but I wonder if Christ might say these words to you: ‘I’m so proud that you let me use you. Because of you, others are here today. Would you like to meet them?’ …At that point Jesus might – again, these are wild speculations – but Jesus might turn to the crowd and invite them. With His hand on your shoulder, He announces, ‘Do we have any here who were influenced by this child of mine?’ One by one, they begin to step out and walk forward… A coworker noticed how you controlled your temper. A receptionist remarks how you greeted her each morning. Someone you don’t even remember reminds you of the time you saw her in the hospital… It’s not long before you and your Savior are encircled by the delightful collection of souls you’ve touched.”
I don’t know if Lucado’s picture is right, but I love the thought of it. What if we come to a day when Jesus shows us the impact we had for His Kingdom? Will we ever know what our investments really “paid out”? I’m not sure. I’d like to think so. Regardless of whether or not we’ll ever know what our investments accomplished, Jesus will. He will know what impact we had for His Kingdom. He’ll know what we invested for His sake. Let’s make sure, then, that we’re investing all we can now in order to reap eternal benefits when He comes.
Questions to Consider:
- Why don’t we focus more on eternal investments? How can you change this in your own life?
- Read Luke 16:9. What should we use our earthly resources for?