Investing in Others by Martin Wiles

Investing is important, but where one invests is even more essential.

The options for investing money are innumerable. Many contact a brokerage firm for assistance. Some investments are safer than others. One risky investment is a margin account. Investors are allowed to borrow a portion of the money needed to purchase securities. The risks in this type of investment should be evident. A downturn in the economy could cause one to lose all the money they originally invested while still owing the brokerage firm the money they borrowed. A double hit. 

Jesus once healed a man possessed by a legion of demons. As Jesus was leaving his area, he begged to go with him, but Jesus instructed him to invest where he lived. “No, go back to your family, and tell them everything God has done for you.” So he went all through the town proclaiming the great things Jesus had done for him. (Luke 8:39 NLT)

Investing in others is a mental exercise. If I don’t consciously put forth effort, I’ll miss needs all around me. I’ll be so wrapped up in my little world that I’ll completely miss the opportunities to help others that God sends. 

Investing in others also requires an emotional response on my part. I can assist others for the wrong reasons. Recognition, compensation, adoration. Only by developing empathy for others will I reach out for the right reason. Empathy is more than feeling sorry for someone; it involves entering into their situation and feeling it from their perspective as much as is possible.

And of course, investing in others entails physical action. I can see and feel other’s pain, but unless I commit to active involvement those actions are worthless. This involves time, effort, and often cost but is acknowledged by God as a wise investment.

Let God open your eyes to the investment opportunities that surround you.

Prayer: Father, prompt us to take the investment You’ve made in us and multiply it other’s lives. 

 
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