Read: Philippians 4:15-18
What if I had invested?
The past decade has seen several companies’ stocks skyrocket in what seems like record time. Internet start-ups like Google rose from relative obscurity to become financial titans. Established companies like Apple reinvented themselves to become relevant in today’s culture. Their ascension to these places of prominence has left many investors scratching their heads, wondering why they didn’t see these things coming. Worse, they’re left to wonder how their fortunes would have been different had they possessed the foresight to invest in these companies before they got big.
Recently, ING Direct fed this regret by posting a “What If I Had Invested” calculator on their website. Using their system, you can see how much money you would have if you had invested in some of these high-performing companies before their stocks took off. Here are a couple of statistics that made me really wish I knew something about investing:
- If you would have invested $1000 in Apple on August of 2000 – long before the iPod and iPhone became phenomena – your investment would currently be worth $31,475.
- A $1000 investment in Hansen Natural Corporation (makers of Monster Energy Drinks) made at the beginning of 2003 would be worth $84,832.
- A local company could have even helped you get rich! If you could somehow go back in time to 1999 and invest $1000 in St. Louis Bread Company before it became Panera Bread, your investment would today be worth over $22,000 (in other words, a lot of French Onion soup).
Looking at those examples, it’s easy to see that making the right investment can pay huge dividends in the end. Had we known what any of these companies was eventually to become, we would have invested in them in a heartbeat. In fact, we would have sacrificed whatever it took in order to be a part of what they were doing. When you know what the payout is going be to, making the investment is the easiest thing in the world to do.
In a sense, that’s exactly the attitude the church in Philippi had. Here in Philippians 4:15-18, Paul commended them for the investments they had made in his ministry. From the time they had first met, the Philippians had been some of Paul’s greatest supporters. They supported him when the city officials of Philippi kicked him out of the city. They supported him throughout his ministry in Macedonia. They even sent a gift through Epaphroditus during Paul’s time in prison. Every time Paul had needed assistance, the church in Philippi had been there to help.
Though the Philippians may never have realized it, the aid they sent Paul was one of the greatest investments of all time. They were investing in one of the most prolific evangelists in history – a man who would eventually write almost half of the New Testament. The time, energy and money they invested in Paul has paid dividends to this very day. Rather than investing in themselves, the Philippians invested in eternity. Moreover, they invested in us.
All that makes me wonder what we’re investing in. Where are we putting our treasures? How are we spending our money? Better yet, how are we spending our days? Are we investing in temporary things? Or, are we investing in eternity? Which payout are we living for? Randy Alcorn put it like this in Heaven:
“What will last for eternity? Not your car, your house, degrees, trophies or business. What will last for eternity is every service to the needy, every dollar given to feed the hungry, every cup of cold water given to the thirsty, every investment in missions, every prayer for the needy, every effort invested in evangelism, and every moment spent caring for precious children – including rocking them to sleep and changing their diapers. The Bible says we’ll reap in eternity what we’ve planted in this life.”
Paul’s closing words to the Philippians force us to reexamine our priorities. Will we continue to invest in the temporary? Or, will we invest our lives in that which has eternal significance? Hopefully, when the end comes, you won’t be stuck asking yourself the most depressing question of them all:
What if I had invested?
Questions to Consider:
What practical things can you do today to make an investment in others?
Read Matthew 6:19-21. What does Jesus say here about investing?