When I first started investing for retirement, an advisor took me through a risk assessment. “Given your age,” he said, “you should have a higher risk profile … because greater risks usually yield higher rewards.” In 2008, when the market took a tumble another advisor reassured me, “Stay in there. The only people who’ve lost anything are the ones that got out of the market.” Both pieces of advice turned out to be helpful. My investments rebounded, recouped and surpassed any of my earlier losses. And … taking bigger risks has (over the long-haul) paid bigger dividends.
What if your advisor guaranteed that whatever you invested with him would only grow and never diminish? Another well-tested truism comes to mind, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” I guess you’d need to decide how much you trust your advisor.
In Mark chapter four, Jesus told His closest followers that they had been given the “secret of the kingdom.” They must have been wondering, “Since it’s a secret, do we keep it to ourselves?” Jesus immediately addressed what they were thinking, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand? For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” (Mark 4:21-23) In other words, “Take what you’re learning from Me and share it freely with others.” Then Jesus shared three pictures of investing in His Kingdom. Here’s the first …
Consider carefully what you hear,” He continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you — and even more. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. Vv.24-25
Some commentators read the Greek to mean … “it will be measured to you and measured out again.” They believe Jesus was saying that investments in the kingdom would at least double. Even if you don’t take it that far, Jesus clearly was saying, “You will always get back more than you invested.” It’s an investment with a guaranteed return … a guaranteed increase. The only way you can lose is by not investing!
Here’s my point … all Kingdom investments are risk-free! Invest your time, your talents, your personality, your resources, even your perceived deficits in Christ’s Kingdom … you can’t lose! DISCLAIMER: I don’t believe Kingdom investing is a guaranteed path to financial abundance in this life. I’m not preaching that distorted gospel. Being truly invested in God’s Kingdom has more often cost people all their earthly resources … and finally their life. A young missionary who made that sacrifice got it right,
“He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep … in order to gain what he cannot lose.” Jim Elliot
