Investment Portfolio

Have you spent the last few months thinking about your 401k and other retirement accounts?

Are you weekly (or daily) reviewing your investment portfolio, trying to discern whether to go more conservatively for a while?

I find it fascinating how much time we spend thinking about money when Jesus says:

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.”

- Matthew 6:26

Now don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. We are supposed to be good stewards of what God has given us, giving Him our firstfruits and investing wisely. But, I know that it can be a temptation to let money or material things become idols that we put first in our lives.

In Matthew 13, Jesus teaches two parables about the “kingdom of heaven” and then explains their meaning. But then he continues with two more short parables about it. Matthew 13:44-46 says,

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

- Matthew 13:44-46

There is a very poignant lesson for all of us if we want to Go First and make living for Jesus the most important goal of our lives.

These two short parables teach the same lesson - the kingdom of heaven is priceless. Both of the parables involve a man who sold everything - all he owned - to possess the kingdom.

Think about that for a minute! The treasure and the pearl represent Jesus and what He did for us on the cross. There is nothing we could sell that would equal the value of what He paid through his death, but there is something we can do. We can live our lives sacrificially for Him, not only by giving Him our firstfruits, but by living the Go First way. And what we gain, in exchange for letting go of our idols, is so much more valuable that - according to one scholar - it is comparable to “trading an ounce of trash for a ton of diamonds.” In Philippians 3:7-9, Paul says:

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

- Philippians 3:7-9

As we move into Thanksgiving week, let’s take time to remember what Jesus did on the cross and thank Him for our gift of salvation. And then, let’s take a look at what we’re investing our lives in.

Maybe it’s time to realign our portfolio of how we live!

Pastor Pam

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