THE BEST FINANCIAL INVESTMENT YOU CAN MAKE

Tell them to use their money to do well. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life. 1 Timothy 6:18-19 (NLT)

Jesus told us to store up our treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:20-21). How can we do this? In one of his most misunderstood statements, Jesus said: I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings (Luke 16:9). Jesus did not mean for you to “buy” friends with money. What he meant was that you can use the money God gives you to share God’s love and message with many people. You’ve probably heard the expression: You can’t take it with you. But God’s message suggests you can send it on ahead. How? By investing in human beings and their eternal well-being. Human life is the best financial investment you’ll ever make! Imagine being in heaven with people who keep telling you, “I’m enjoying eternal life in the family of God, because you invested time, money and effort to help me understand and receive God’s love. If it weren’t for you, I might not have come to know God during our earthly lives.” Whose eternal well-being are you investing in? When you use your money to help create a church where everyone is welcome and learns about God’s love, you are storing up treasure in heaven. When you use your money to share the Good News around the world, you are storing up treasure in heaven. When you use your money to support people with special needs, you are storing up treasure in heaven. That is the highest and best use of your money, and the return on your investment will be endlessly rewarding. By doing this [you] will be storing up real treasure for [yourself] in heaven—it is the only safe investment for eternity! And [you] will be living fruitful Christian life down here as well (1 Timothy 6:19).