Investing (part 1 of 2)
Peter Drucker was one of my mentors. He said, “Every person desires to be part of something bigger than themselves.”
Brussels by Gillham
Drucker is right, but not all of us are aware this is the case. We know folks—perhaps even ourselves—who have missed this self-awareness and languish in the dim twilight of self-centeredness, a terrible waste of the potential infused into our souls by our Creator.
In fretting over whether or not God is truly capable—and so inclined—of meeting our needs, we buy into the notion that we must assume this responsibility upon our own shoulders. In so doing, we bury our heart’s desire under the refuse and well-intentioned refurbishment of our own effort and live focused upon ourselves.
One of the great challenges we have is understanding how to manage the investment God has made in us. He has not simply blessed us a little bit and left the majority of His wealth parked in other accounts. On the contrary! He “…has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3).
Every blessing that is Christ’s is ours as well. We are as a matter of fact, “joint heirs” with Christ to the fortune of God. Don’t even think for a moment this “fortune” has to do with financial wealth or capital holdings. God has far more in His heart toward us than financing a lifestyle.
His blessing is synonymous with His heart’s desire. His blessing is the great overture stemming from His heart to draw us close, to pull us to Himself, to share His heritage with us, to make us part of His family, to enter into a new and irrevocable covenant with us.
In Christ, God’s heart is personified. In Christ, God’s grace is embodied. In Christ, God’s desire for closeness with us is incarnate. In Christ, God tore down all that separated us from Him philosophically, practically, and personally in the personification of His heart toward us personified in Christ.
What do you do with an investment of this magnitude? How do you manage it? How do you value it?
Thoughts about these questions are next.