Invest and Save For The Future...Eternity

Through my education, I learned that it was necessary to make good, sound financial decisions.  I learned that you should invest, save money, have a good job, think about your future.  We all know these are supposed no-brainers.

One of the most vivid memories of saving happened to me while I was at college.

I was poor.  I was going to school on God's grace.  I had a minimum wage job and money was tight.  A speaker came to teach one of the student organizations I was involved with and he encouraged us to begin investing as soon as we could.  As part of his speech, he pulled out a $20 bill.  $20!  He looked around the room and said, "I'll give $20 to any student who has a 4.0 GPA."  He grinned as he looked around the room and saw no hands going up. 

In a group like this, I am a total introvert and even though I had a 4.0 GPA, I was hesitant to raise my hand.  One, I felt like it was bragging.  Two, I didn't want to draw attention to myself.  But $20!  So, I raised my hand.  I immediately realized that he was betting no one had the GPA and he'd keep the cool $20, but as promised he handed it over and said, "Be sure you invest this."

I don't specifically know what I did with it, but I'm sure I used it to put gas in my car or buy shampoo.  His words never left me though.  Years and years of working and learning and taking advice always left me with the words that we should plan for our future.  Right now, I could give you a really GOOD talk about planning for your future.  I could wax poetic about investing, saving, working, planning!  I really could.  I'm an accountant, after all.

But, I'll admit to you that I'm in a new place.  I'm looking at planning for the future and seeing that phrase turned on its head.  I'm seeing Jesus and everything He has done for me and I see that planning for the future should be analyzed against the backdrop of eternity.  The hardest thing about planning for the future and NOT doing it under my own power is...trusting God.

Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.  Matthew 7:21

Yesterday, I was waiting on an email answer that was part of my future.  I expected the email answer to be, "No", but I was hoping I was wrong and a big, fat "yes" would come instead--a miracle.  A minute before I started teaching my last class, I saw my phone post the email.  I didn't have to open the email to see the "No."  

Immediately, I felt anxiety grip my soul and I wanted to cry.  I felt defeated.  I wanted to question God and know why things didn't happen easily, without struggle, and with lots of "Yes's".  I went in to that class.  I taught the class with that dejection hanging around my neck.  

After the class, I picked up my phone and made a call that was on my list of to-do's.  Before the conversation ended, Jackie asked me if I had a prayer request.  I don't know Jackie.  Never met her.  Probably never will.  I managed to tell Jackie to pray about my "No", even though another problem I was having cropped into my mind, but I didn't want to share it with Jackie. (P.S. It was probably the reason the "No" devastated me.)  I expected Jackie would take down my prayer request and we'd hang up.  

And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words..." Romans 8:26

All of a sudden, I hear Jackie praying!  My heart literally breaks in two with gratitude and I begin sobbing!  Seriously Sobbing!  Jackie's prayer opened a direct line from the Father to my heart and tears flowed.  I could hardly mumble a "Thank You" after Jackie finished praying.  But, she knew that her prayer touched me.  She said, "Wow!  The Holy Spirit is moving, isn't He?  I stumbled through that prayer because I wasn't sure I was praying right, but He moved."  And, Jackie, my Sister in the Faith was right.  Jackie didn't know, but God did.  He knew I needed to know that He was watching, that He saw me struggling against living a life of planning for the future versus living a life Planning For The Future in His Kingdom.

and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:27

I know this blog may be lengthy today and may be hard to understand, but YOU, you ONE person, God wants YOU to know that He sees you.  All the wisdom from man may sound sweet and may tickle your ears, but KNOW that this wisdom does NOT come from God.  He has a calling on His people and He calls us to trust Him, rely on Him, and reach OUT--not in.  

When I was in college, I was totally relying on God.  I had no money, but I ended up with a college education because He paid for it.  After that, He provided work and I went about the business of planning for the future.  Now, I feel Him asking me to re-evaluate my trust in me and my trust in Him.  These questions come to my mind:

What does planning for the future look like?  If you are invested in the stock market, what companies are you invested in?  Do you know?  What are you supporting with your money?  Do you have savings that could be helping others?  What if you lost it all tomorrow--what will you have to show when you stand before the Lord?  What good will all we have stored up on earth be in heaven?

I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From whence shall my help come?  My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.  He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber.  Psalms 121:1-3