I would never tell anyone to use their money to invest in something that was sure to fail. Most investments, as in real estate, stocks or other financials are opportunties to multiply your initial investment with a certain amount of risk. Each dollar invested has the potential to increase or decrease. There is no certainty either way. If I was telling people how to invest there would be no reason for me to tell them to place hard earned money into something which was going to be worthless.
But there is a certain investment which is sure to fail and another that is certain to produce growth.
Our lives are an investment in something. As we live our lives minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day we are making an investment of time, energy and resources into something. Paul says there is a way we can invest this ‘commodity’ of life into something that has substance and will produce returns.
“Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing that that work is never in vain in the Lord.”- Apostle Paul, I Cor. 15:58.
This verse comes after 57 verses where Paul talks in detail about what is going to happen when believers are resurrected and begin their new life, which has begun now, but will then have its full effect. And at that point everything will be restored to how God intended it to be. And from then on we will exist and experience a reality we have only tasted forever. Forever is a long time.
Our encouragement from Paul is to work hard ALWAYS doing the work of the Lord because that investment will produce substance into eternity. It literally “not empty” Paul says in I Cor. 15:58. That is an investment I can recommend. An investment not of “perishable” things like houses, cars, pleasures, careers, etc. which will fade away with the passing of this age. But the investment of the imperishable things, which will not be destroyed by “moths” and “stolen by thieves.” So to not do the work of the Lord or to put it another way, to invest this life into things that we want is really a stupid investment. Especially in light of what is to come.
The gospel says, Your life is a stupid investment. Invest in the Lord’s work and you will have reward for eternity.Invest in what you want and that is all you get.
I will sacrifice and give of myself for the good of the kingdom. I will say ‘no’ to myself in order to love others more and give more of myself. I will prioritze the kingdom of God in my life over everything else because my life is not important to me. Help me Lord because I want to believe this. Help me to believe your gospel.