Dancing in the Light

I John 1:7 "If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin."

Name:
Location: North Platte, Nebraska, United States

I am a christian wife, mother and grandmother. I am a licensed Social worker and a licensed Christian counselor. I am most proud of the relationships I have with God, my family and friends all over the world. I have been blessed beyond my dreams.

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

A Worthwhile Investment

Lately I've noticed more and more advertisements encouraging us to invest our money wisely in order to guarantee a secure future. While they are advertising for their companies, in an attempt to drum up more business, the principle they promote is very sound. That principle is that in order to guarantee a return, one must invest. Without investment there is no return.
Being a minister's daughter and now a minister's wife, I can't begin to tell you how many times I've heard the excuse, "I don't come to church anymore, I just don't get anything out of it." Comments like those have always irritated me as if "church" is all about "me" and "having my needs met". All rational human beings can refute that statement, or so it seems to me!
However, I began to think about other relationships and life endeavors. I started wondering if that same mindset permeated every part of our life. So I deliberately thought about investments. On a daily basis, I invest emotionally, financially, spiritually, physically and I expect a return on those investments. We all do! But what would happen if we all, in anticipation of a big return, invested more?
For instance, what would happen if I invested more time and energy at work? What if I invested my effort in having a positive attitude, in making my workplace a good place, in being a good employee, almost as if I were working for the Lord? What kind of return would I receive? The answer is obvious isn't it?
So perhaps the way we earn the respect of others is to invest some respect toward them and toward ourselves. We cannot expect those around us to support and encourage us if we are constantly self-demeaning or disrespectful to them. Perhaps the way to teach our children to speak respectfully to us and others is to speak respectfully to them and in front of them. It seems it would be difficult to instill an attitude of respect for authority in young ones who see us yelling at policemen and badmouthing our churchleaders, president, and lawmakers.
And just think about what would happen if we invested an attitude change about worship? What if Sunday mornings weren't a time of yelling at the kids to hurry up and get ready because "we HAVE to go to church" and what if the ride home after services was filled with conversations about God and His blessings rather than the boring sermon, slow songs, and those singing off key behind us? What return could we expect? What attitude would our children learn about worship and being with God's people?
Maybe the way to strong, spiritual marriages to invest our time and energy into making them what God would have them to be. Maybe if I sacrificed my will once in awhile, maybe if I didn't share my opinion every time, maybe if I spoke about and to my spouse like I did when we were dating, then just maybe I would get a return on that investment.
Perhaps the key to good, healthy spiritual friendships is to invest our time in being the kind of friend who promotes spiritual conversation, who encourages self-control and discourages gossip and who examples trust and values the importance of keeping confidence. Perhaps if we we invested in this way, we would find ourselves blessed with an abundance of good relationships.
What do you think would happen if we invested our time and energy in a stronger and deeper and more intimate relationship with God? What if a big part of our day was invested in talking with Him, reading His word, praising Him? What kind of return would we expect? Wouldn't we become stronger? Would we become wiser? Would we feel more confident in our ability to endure and maintain until His return? Would we find our church growing and growing and growing?
Perhaps it is time we examined our investments? Could be that we are not getting the desired return because there is a lack of the required investment! The only free thing is the gift of God's grace--though it cost Him dearly, He was willing to invest the blood of His Son in us. Daily we have opportunities to invest ourselves in pleasing Him! Worthwhile investments are everywhere! What does your investment portfolio look like?

Peace
Neva

21 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow, Neva,
You sure know how to make someone think!
Great post.

Love
Pat

10:14 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You are so right, we get out what we put in. Too bad it takes most of us so long to learn this.

Thanks Neva
Carol

11:10 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

HE invested HIS life for us!


Carlos

12:22 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Excellent post!

12:50 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Great post as usual, Neva. I would expect nothing less from you. Still working on CA Ladies Day next Spring--and you speaking for us.

Rachel

1:39 PM  
Blogger ThreeGirlyGirls said...

Very thought provoking post!! I'm so glad you are back! I've missed you!! Glad to hear you are "settled" and things went well.

2:03 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

What a novel concept, investing more than just money! God loves a cheerful giver. I agree that we will gain a powerful return on these investments but that should not be our primary motivation. We should do the things you cited simply because they are the right things to do and because we are Christians and Christians do the right things!

Interested Bystander

3:22 PM  
Blogger Stacie said...

It is a good thing I have an investment advisor!!! That was a great post. Got me thinking again...
Love Ya,
Stacie

4:31 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Stacie,
I've got one of those too!
Great thought provoker.

Blessings
Georgia

5:57 PM  
Blogger preacherman said...

Excellent post Neva.

11:04 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wonderful, thank you for sharing your thoughts with us, we all have missed you.

Jeneane

8:02 AM  
Blogger Kathy said...

What a blessing! And I'm so happy to see your muse has returned. :)

Great blog, just great and as has been said, very thought provoking, or should I say, prayer provoking!

Love ya' G/F

Kathy

8:37 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Neva
So glad to see you posting regularly again. I have been praying for you in your new ministry, moving is such a headache.
Thank you for always encouraging, inspiring and touching our hearts.

Mary

11:15 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Amen, and welcome back,

Yvonne

11:50 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Why do you think it is that our society seems to think we deserve maximum rewards with minimum input? We have forgotten what sacrifice and hard work means or so it seems to me.

Eileen

1:34 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It also works the other way, when we invest in bad ventures we recieve negative and oftentimes spirtully dangerous returns.


Great thoughts Neva
Jessica

2:31 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I love the post and the comments. You make a very good point.

Glynnis

2:32 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yes!

Lauren

4:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am humbled

hugs
donna

5:31 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It was good to hear from you over at Finding Direction: The Wind Vane Chronicles this evening, Neva. I've missed you a whole lot.

I've been keeping up with your blog and your move and all, but just haven't been commenting lately. I'll try to correct that starting here.

Good post that I appreciate.

Cheers & Blessings to you all today!

Dee

10:16 PM  
Blogger Sista Cala said...

You just keep on cranking out some fine posts. Today's hit on something I tell people all of the time. "You receive in direct proportion as to how you give."

1:01 AM  

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