When it comes to treasure, we are to give generously because Jesus is generous...

This week, we have been looking at the prevalent perception and objection that the church just wants your money. Yesterday, we asked the question “why is generosity important when it comes to following Jesus? And does God really expect us to be generous?” Today, as Paul continues in this letter, we see Paul answer these questions and reveal for us a timeless truth when it comes to generosity and giving, beginning in 2 Corinthians 8:8:

I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.

Paul explains to the church at Corinth the he is not commanding the church to finish and follow through on the commitment that they had previously made when it came to participating in the famine relief fund for the church at Jerusalem. Instead of giving an authoritative directive, Paul explains that their response to his call for them to finish what they started would be “proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also.” But what does that mean?

When Paul uses the word prove here, he is explaining that he will draw a conclusion based on their response to Titus’ encouragement to finish what they started. The conclusion that Paul will draw will be in regard to the churches earnest and diligent commitment when it came to their relationship with Christ and His people who form the church.

In other words, Paul had seen the diligent commitment that the northern churches of Greece demonstrated when it came to following Christ and being a part of God’s kingdom mission in the world. Paul had seen their sincerity or their genuine and authentic love for God that drove and motivated their attitude of gratitude and actions of generosity. Paul had seen that the churches of Philippi and Thessalonica revealed and reflected Christ by how they loved and served those both near and far.

Now, Paul will be able to draw a conclusion as to how committed the church at Corinth is when it comes to following Jesus and being a part of His activity in the world. Paul will see what genuinely drove their relationship with God and His church. Is it gratitude and generosity, or is it something else? Now a natural pushback that many people experience at this point is “what does my generosity have to do with the genuineness or depth of my relationship with Christ”?

Paul provides the reason why our generosity, or lack of generosity, is a barometer as to the depth and sincerity of our relationship with Christ in verse 9; “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.”

And it is in this statement by Paul that we see provided for us the answer to the question “why should I give?” And that timeless answer is this: When it comes to treasure, we are to give generously because Jesus Christ is generous. This morning, Jesus Christ was and is rich. He is the hands of creation. He owns everything. Jesus Christ is rich spiritually, relationally, and materially. And Jesus is generous. Paul explains that Jesus is so generous that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor.

Now when Paul uses the word poor here, this word literally means to become poor as a beggar. Jesus entered into humanity and grew up in a blue collar home of a carpenter. During Jesus ministry He was homeless, relying on the support of others for food and shelter. Jesus left the riches of the glory and majesty of Heaven to live the life of a beggar on earth.

Paul then explains that the reason that Jesus left the riches of Heaven for the life of a beggar on earth was so that you through His poverty we might become rich. Jesus entered into humanity to live as a beggar and allowed Himself to be treated as though He lived our selfish and sinful lives by dying the worst death possible by crucifixion so that God the Father could treat us as though we lived Jesus perfect life and bless us with the riches that come from the forgiveness of sin and the relationship with God that we were created for in Heaven.

And Jesus generosity had “no strings attached”; Jesus willingly became poor in order to provide us the opportunity to experience the riches of the life that we were created and called to live. I mean what did Jesus get out of the crucifixion? How did Jesus entry into humanity benefit Him?

And the churches of Philippi and Thessalonica and northern Greece got this reality. Their generosity flowed from an attitude of gratitude for what Christ had done to rescue them from their selfishness and sin. Their generosity flowed from a response of love and a desire to reflect the love of Christ to the church at Jerusalem and the world.

Paul saw this response to who Jesus was and what He had done for these churches as confirmation of the firm commitment that they had to Christ and His kingdom mission. And in the same way today, Christ’s generous willingness to leave the riches of the glory of Heaven to live a beggar’s life and die an excruciating death should drive us to live a life that is motivated by love and that reveals and reflects Christ’s generosity.

You see, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are to be generous because Jesus Christ is generous. And when we give generously, we reveal and reflect the generosity of Jesus to others. As a church, we do not ask followers of Jesus to give because we want your money. Instead, as a church, we invite followers of Jesus to respond to the generosity of Jesus by reflecting that generosity in a way that enables us as a church to create environments where people can explore, faith, grow in their faith and experience genuine and authentic community, so God’s kingdom mission can advance and God’s reputation can be enhanced.

So what does your generosity, or lack of generosity, say about your relationship with God? And what motivates you to be generous? Do you believe that Jesus is generous? And do you believe that you are to be generous because Jesus is generous? Does your generosity flow from an attitude of loving gratitude in response to Jesus is and what Jesus has done?

An Attitude of Gratitude and Actions of Generosity...

This week, we are talking about the prevalent perception and objection that the church just wants your money. Yesterday, we looked at a section of a letter in our Bibles called 2 Corinthians, were a man named Paul was surprised, and even taken aback, the attitude of gratitude and the actions of generosity that he experienced from two churches that were immersed in a culture of poverty and persecution. Today, we will see Paul unpack how these churches demonstrated their gratitude and generosity, beginning in 2 Corinthians 8:3:

For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.

Here we see Paul sharing with the church at Corinth how he experienced the unexpected joyous gratitude and generosity of the churches. Now to fully understand how Paul experienced the gratitude and generosity of these churches, we first need to understand what Paul is referring to with the phrase “participation in the support of the saints”. When Paul talks about the support of the saints, he is referring to churches involvement in a special offering that was being taken for the church of Jerusalem, whose members were suffering as a result of a famine in the region.

In a previous letter to this church that is recorded for us in the Bible, called the book of 1 Corinthians, we discover that while other churches were following Paul’s instructions to invest their treasure to meet the needs of the church in Jerusalem, the church at Corinth was failing to follow through on their commitment. In verse three, Paul explains that, unlike the church at Corinth, these poor and persecuted churches were willingly investing their treasure to meet the needs of the church at Jerusalem.

You see, Paul did not have to make a sales pitch or a guilt trip to these churches. Instead, these churches heard of the need and were motivated to respond. As a matter a fact, they were so motivated to respond that they gave beyond their ability. In other words, they gave sacrificially. They responded to the need that they saw by pleading and appealing to Paul to be a part of God’s activity by meeting the pressing and practical needs of the church in Jerusalem. What makes this act by these poor churches so significant as compared to the inaction of the church at Corinth was the difference in the socio-economic condition of these churches.

The city of Corinth was a wealthy port city and commercial center and was a key player in the world economy. Unlike the churches of Philippi and Thessalonica, the members of the church at Corinth had the resources that they could easily invest to be a part of what God was doing to help the church at Jerusalem. So, while the wealthy church at Corinth was dragging their feet when it came to following through on their commitment, the persecuted and poor churches of northern Greece dove in head first in order to be a part of God’s activity in the world.

That is why, in verse 5, Paul makes the statement that he did not expect such gratitude and generosity. When Paul uses the phrase “gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God”, he is revealing for us the reality that these churches were first and foremost dedicated to God’s desires for their life and their investment and involvement in what He was doing in the world. And as a result of his experience with these churches in Northern Greece, Paul was provoked to respond. We see his response revealed for us in verses 6-7:

So we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, so he would also complete in you this gracious work as well. But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also.

After experiencing God’s activity in the lives of these northern churches, Paul responded by sending Titus, who was partner of Paul’s who also planted a church on the island of Crete to Corinth in order to encourage the church to finish and follow through on the commitment that they had previously made when it came to participating in the famine relief fund for the church at Jerusalem.

Paul explains to the church that just as they have excelled in their confident trust in God; just as they excelled in what they comprehended and grasped about the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel; just as they excelled in what they said when it came to doctrine and theology; they were to excel when it came to being a part of God’s activity through this famine relief fund. You see, while the church at Corinth seemed to have their head, their mouth, and their heart engaged when it came to following Jesus, their hands were disengaged. While they excelled in many areas of what it means to follow Jesus, they were not excelling when it came to their generosity.

Now a natural question that may arise is “why is generosity important when it comes to following Jesus? And does God really expect us to be generous? I mean, so I do not normally give; does that really matter? And why should I be generous and give when it comes to the church? I mean, this is why I feel like churches are just interested in my money.”

If these are questions or objections that you have or have heard others have when it comes to the subject of giving and generosity, I just want to let you know that these are fair questions to be asking.

Tomorrow, we will see Paul answer these questions and reveal for us a timeless truth when it comes to generosity and giving…

A Common Perception About the Church and Money...

For the past several weeks, we have been looking at what the Bible has to say about the subject of money and finances. This week, I would like for us to look at a very common perception and objection that many people have when it comes to the church and the issue of money. And that perception and one or the major objections to the church, and to Christianity in general, is the belief that the church just wants your money.

Maybe I have just described the perception and objection that you have had with Christianity and the church. Maybe you keep Christianity and the church at arm’s length because you believe that the church is all about the money. Maybe you have encountered Christians or churches that give that perception.

So, is the church all about the money? And even if you do not believe that the church just wants your money, then why is it we can tend to get so uncomfortable when the issue of money and giving is brought up in church? And why do churches pass the plate and take an offering? Do they take the offering because God needs the money? Or is it just because the pastor needs the money? Why does the church ask Christians to give every week?

So this week I would like us to focus on this issue of giving and specifically answer the question “why should I give?” And to answer this question, I would like for us to spend our time together looking at a section of a letter that a man named Paul wrote to a church that was located in Corinth Greece called 2^nd Corinthians. The section that we are going to spend our time in begins in 2 Corinthians 8:1. Let’s look at it together:

Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality.

Paul begins this section of his letter to the church in Corinth by sharing with them the evidence of God’s activity in and through several churches that were located in Macedonia. These were churches that Paul had previously planted in the cities of Philippi and Thessalonica, which were located in the northern region of Greece. And in our Bibles today, we have several letters that were written to these churches. The book of Philippians and the books of 1^st and 2^nd Thessalonians were written to these very churches at around the same time that this letter was written to the church at Corinth.

Paul explains to the church at Corinth, which was located in southern Greece, that in spite of the trouble and distress that these churches were experiencing as a result of persecution and exploitation by the Roman government, that these churches were marked by an unexpected joy. In spite of their outward circumstances, these churches demonstrated an attitude and mindset of gratitude and gladness.

But not only did this church demonstrate unexpected joy in the midst of their persecution. Paul also reveals for us the reality that these churches experienced deep poverty. What is so interesting is that this phrase, in the language that this letter was written in, literally means that their poverty was so significant and extreme that is was difficult to measure. The apostle Paul had a hard time wrapping his mind around how poor these followers of Jesus were.

Yet, in spite of their extreme poverty and the intense persecution they were facing, these churches were extremely rich when it came to their generosity. The phrase the wealth of their liberality, if communicated in the language of our culture today, would sound something like this: “these churches had a ‘no strings attached’ approach when it came to their goodness and generosity.

You see, Paul was surprised, and even taken aback, by their attitude of gratitude and the actions of generosity that he experienced at these churches that were immersed in a culture of poverty and persecution.

Tomorrow, we will see Paul unpack how these churches demonstrated their gratitude and generosity…

Living so that those who look down on your youth have to look up to Christ in you...

This week, we are talking about the tension that can exist between generations. Yesterday, we saw a member of the older generation, a man named Paul, write to a member of the younger generation, a man named Timothy. And in the first part of 1 Timothy 4:12, Paul commanded Timothy to let no one look down on his youthfulness. In other words, Paul is commanding Timothy, and those of the younger generation throughout history, to not give the older generation a reason to despise and look down on you because of your age.

Today, we will see Paul, after telling Timothy what not to do; after commanding Timothy not to give the older generation a reason to despise and look down on him because of his youth, then tells Timothy what he needs to do as a member of the younger generation as he engages those of the older generation in the second half of verse 12:

but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.

Paul commands Timothy to show yourself an example of those who believe. This little phrase show yourself and example, in the language that this letter was originally written in, literally means to be a model or an example of someone of something. What Timothy was to be an example of; what Timothy was to model, was of those who believe. In other words, Paul is commanding Timothy to model a devotion to Christ based on his confident trust in the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel. Timothy was to respond to those who despised, disrespected, and devalued him because he was young by revealing and reflecting Christ to them.

And it is here that we see Paul provide for us a timeless principle that enables the younger generation to navigate through the tension and frustration that you will experience as you transition to a new stage of life. And that timeless principle is this: Live your life so that those who look down on your youth have to look up to Christ in you. Paul here is commanding Timothy to live his day to day life in a way that responds to those who look down on his youth to have to look up to Christ that is being revealed and reflected through his life.

And in the same way today, as the younger generation that is transitioning through the tension of moving from adolescence to adulthood, you are to engage that tension and that frustration in a way that reveals and reflects Christ to those who may despise, disrespect, and devalue you simply because you are young.

Now a natural question that arises here is “well Dave that sounds great, but what does that practically look like in my day to day life? What does a life that responds to those who look down on my youth to have to look up to Christ look like?” Fortunately for us, Paul provides us five different aspects of our lives that God desires to use in order that we live our day to day lives in a way that causes others to look up to Christ in us.

First, Paul commands us to model a devotion to Christ and a confident trust in Christ in our speech. In other words, what we say should reveal Christ in us. Instead of engaging in conversations that give ammunition or wood to fuel their feelings of disrespect that one may have for the younger generation, Paul is calling for conversations that reveal and reflect the message and teachings of Jesus and how he would respond when He was despised or disrespected.

So younger generation, here is a question to consider: Do your conversations reveal and reflect the message and teachings of Jesus when you are disrespected? How are you responding verbally when you are looked down upon simply because you are young?

Second, Paul commands us to model a devotion to Christ and a confident trust in Christ in our conduct. In other words, what we do in terms of our way of living life, or our behavior, should reveal Christ in us. Instead of engaging in activities or conduct that give ammunition or wood to fuel their feelings of disrespect that one may have for the younger generation, Paul is calling for a way of life and conduct that reveals and reflects the message and teachings of Jesus and how he would respond when He was despised or disrespected.

So younger generation, here is a question to consider: Does your conduct reveal and reflect the message and teachings of Jesus when you are disrespected? How are you responding with your actions when you are looked down upon simply because you are young?

Third, Paul commands us to model a devotion to Christ and a confident trust in Christ through love. In other words, there should be the evidence of an other-centered warm regard and interest in another that reveals the love of Christ in us. Instead of displaying emotions of anger, hate, or bitterness that give ammunition or wood to fuel their feelings of disrespect that one may have for the younger generation, Paul is calling for a life that reflects the love of Christ and how Christ would respond when He was despised or disrespected.

So younger generation, here is a question to consider: Does you reflect the love of Christ when you are disrespected? How are you responding with your emotions when you are looked down upon simply because you are young?

Fourth, Paul commands us to model a devotion to Christ and a confident trust in Christ through our faith. In other words, there should be the evidence of a confident trust in the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel that reveals Christ in us. Paul here is calling for a life that places it confident trust in Christ when we experience disrespect and the feeling of being devalued by those who are of the older generation.

So younger generation, here is a question to consider: Do you reflect a confident trust in Christ when you are disrespected? How are you responding when it comes to where you are placing your trust in when you are looked down upon simply because you are young?

And fifth, Paul commands us to model a devotion to Christ and a confident trust in Christ through our purity. In other words, what others around us see in the quality of our moral character should reveal Christ in us. Instead of reflecting a character that has been corrupted by selfishness and rebellion and that gives ammunition or wood to fuel their feelings of disrespect that one may have for the younger generation, Paul is calling for a level of moral character that reveals and reflects the message and teachings of Jesus and how He would respond when He was despised or disrespected.

So younger generation, here is a question to consider: Does your character reveal and reflect the message and teachings of Jesus when you are disrespected? How does your character impact how you respond when you are looked down upon simply because you are young?


You see, students, young adults, those of us in the younger generation, while there are some things in life that we have no control over, all of these are areas in our lives where we have total control, don’t we? We have total control over the content of our conversations. We have total control over our conduct. We have total control over whether or not we reflect the love of Christ to others. We have total control when it comes to our confident trust in Christ. We have total control when it comes to our character.

And when we engage that tension and that frustration that comes from those who may despise, disrespect, and devalue us simply because you are young in a way that reveals and reflects Christ, they are forced to look past us and to Christ in us.

So, younger generation, are you living your lives in a way that those who look down on your youth have to look up to Christ in you?

Looking Down On The Younger Generation...

This week, we are talking about the tension that so often exists between the generations. Yesterday, we talked about the reality that, so often, it seems that our default mode apart from Jesus and the Holy Spirits activity in our lives is for the younger generation to discount the older generation as being “out of touch with reality” and view their desire to share their life’s experiences with skepticism.

And in a section of a letter that a member of the older generation named Paul wrote to a member of the younger generation named Timothy, we discovered that this discounting, disrespect, and skepticism that Timothy faced would result in Timothy becoming engaged in dissension, division, and a loss of credibility for Timothy. And it is in this context that Paul makes this statement to Timothy. So let’s look at this statement together, which is found in 1 Timothy 4:12. Paul begins by telling Timothy what not to do, which we see in the first part of verse 12:

Let no one look down on your youthfulness,

Now this little phrase let no one look down, in the language that this letter was originally written in, literally means to look down on someone with contempt as one who has little value. This refers to a person who despises another. By youthfulness, Paul is referring to being young in terms of age. This is not age in terms of maturity; this is age in terms of appearance. Apparently there were members at the church of Ephesus who despised and disrespected Timothy because he was young. There were members of the church at Ephesus that placed little value in what Timothy had to say or in his leadership because of his age.

And unfortunately, for students and young adults, the harsh reality is that there are individuals who you will engage now and in the future, who will despise you, disrespect you, and devalue you and your opinion simply because of your age. Now, if you are a student or a young adult, a natural pushback or objection here to Paul’s command could be this: Well Dave, I have no control over people who look down on my simply because I am young. So why would Paul command me to do something that I have no control over.

If you are resonating with that objection, I want to let you know that you are asking great questions. And my response to those objections; my response to that pushback is this; Paul is making this command not so that you would attempt to control the opinions and responses of others that you cannot control. Instead Paul is commanding you to control what you can control. And what you can control is how you respond when the older generation despises or looks down on you simply because of your age.

In other words, Paul is commanding Timothy, and those of the younger generation throughout history, to not give the older generation a reason to despise and look down on you because of your age. Paul is commanding Timothy to not give the older generation any ammunition for their guns that they can use to fire shots that devalue the younger generation. Paul is commanding Timothy to not give the older generation wood that they can put on the fire to fuel their feelings of disrespect that they may have for the younger generation.

You see, for those in the younger generation, we have total control of what we say and what do when it comes to our response and how we engage the older generation. We have total control over our attitudes and our actions towards the older generation. Paul, after telling Timothy what not to do; after commanding Timothy not to give the older generation a reason to despise and look down on him because of his youth, then tells Timothy what he needs to do as a member of the younger generation as he engages those of the older generation in the second half of verse 12.

Tomorrow, we will look at what Paul has to say next…

The Tension Between Generations...

This past weekend, we paused as a church to celebrate the accomplishments of students who are graduating High School and beginning the next chapter of their lives. Actually, these students are not simply receiving a piece of paper that that tells them that they have completed their High School education. You see, the issue that these students face is not simply one of graduation; for these students, the issue that they face is one of transition. A transition from living at home to living away from home.

A transition from attending High School to attending college, trade school, or no school. A transition from working on homework for a grade to working on a job for a paycheck. A transition from being dependent to being independent. And for many, this time of transition is an emotional rollercoaster that combines the joy that comes with freedom and independence mixed with a fear and uncertainty that comes from moving forward away from the certainty that they have previously experienced.

This is a time of transition where these young men and women must wrestle with the tension of moving from adolescence to adulthood. A tension where, on the one hand they are expected to assume a greater level of responsibility while, on the other hand, they are not given the opportunity to assume that responsibility. A tension where, on the one hand, they are filled with a vision and a passion to make a difference in the world while, on the other hand, they are told that they are too young to make a difference in the world. A tension where they are young enough to be still have a belief that they can make a difference in the world and are not old enough to have been infected with the skepticism that cannot make a difference.

A tension that results in frustration when they are told that they need to grow up, but are not given the opportunity to show that they have grown up. A tension that results in frustration when the bar of expectations is low and the skepticism that they can reach those expectations is high. A tension that results in frustration when they are viewed as the church of the future instead of the church of the present.

So this week, I would like for us to engage the younger generation and answer a question that flows from this tension. And that question is this: How should the younger generation respond to those around them who tell them that they are too young to make a difference? How should the younger generation respond when the older generation looks at them with skepticism? How should the younger generation respond when they believe that they are devalued and discounted by the older generation?

What is so interesting is that this tension, this frustration, and this question is not a new question. This tension between generations and the frustration that arises from this tension has been around for 2,000 years. And in a letter that is recorded for us in the Bible, we see a member of the older generation named Paul write a letter to a member of the younger generation named Timothy. And it is in this letter that Paul makes a statement that provides for us a timeless principle for the next generation; a timeless principle that enables the younger generation to navigate through this tension and frustration as they transition to a new stage of life.

Before we look at this statement, which is found in a letter in the New Testament of our Bibles called 1 Timothy, we first need to understand the context in which this statement was made.  The letter of 1 Timothy was written to a first century church that was located in a city in modern day Turkey named Ephesus. The church at Ephesus had been planted by a man named Paul, who had traveled to this region around 55 A.D. Nine years after planting the church of Ephesus, Paul decided to write a letter to Timothy, who was the Senior Pastor at the church of Ephesus. Paul provides the reason for his letter in 1 Timothy 1:3-5:

As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith. But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy in order to command him to make sure to confront any doctrine, or what we teach about God, that is contrary to the message and teachings of Jesus and the Bible. The motivation that was to drive such a confrontation was to be from a devotion to God and was to reflect the devotion that the church at Ephesus had for God and one another.

The problem that Timothy faced, however, was that people were not being very loving to Timothy. You see, Timothy was much younger than Paul and many of the members at the church of Ephesus. In the very beginning of this letter, Paul refers to Timothy as his true child in the faith. In the opening verses of another letter that Paul wrote to Timothy, called 2 Timothy, Paul refers to Timothy as my beloved son.

And what was happening to Timothy was that the members of the church of Ephesus viewed Paul in a much different light than they viewed Timothy. Paul, who most scholars believe was in his mid 50’s, was viewed as a respected leader and elder statesman in this new movement called Christianity, while Timothy, who most scholars believe was in his mid 30’s, was the new kid on the block. The Apostle Paul was viewed as the teacher, while Timothy was viewed as the student. The Apostle Paul was viewed as the master, while Timothy was viewed as the apprentice.

As a result of how the members of the church viewed Timothy, Paul was concerned that he would face increasing resistance and opposition to his leadership and his direction as he confronted those who were teaching what was contrary to the message and teachings of Jesus. Paul was concerned that those at the church at Ephesus would be unloving towards Timothy because of his age.

Has anything changed? You see, this tension and frustration between generations is not a new problem; this tension between generations is a human nature problem. So often, it seems that our default mode apart from Jesus and the Holy Spirits activity in our lives is for the older generation to discount the younger generation’s passion and view their desire to change the world with skepticism. And so often, it seems that our default mode apart from Jesus and the Holy Spirits activity in our lives is for the younger generation to discount the older generation as being “out of touch with reality” and view their desire to share their life’s experiences with skepticism.

And it is this discounting, disrespect, and skepticism that Paul feared Timothy would become engaged in and would result in dissension, division, and a loss of credibility for Timothy. If Timothy did not handle this situation correctly, he would lose his ability to be the vehicle that God used to reveal His Son Jesus and advance His kingdom mission in his area of influence. And it is in this context that Paul makes this statement to Timothy.

Tomorrow, we will take a look at this statement…

How Should We Invest?

This week, we have been looking at the issue of investing. Yesterday, we saw Solomon reveal for us the timeless principle that when it comes to treasure, those who fail to plan for the future financially plan to fail financially in the future. Solomon wanted humanity throughout history to clearly understand that there are seasons in our lives where we have the ability and opportunity to prepare financially for the seasons in our lives where will not have the ability or opportunity to do so.

Those who plan and prepare for the future by investing in short and long term savings demonstrate the wisdom, the developed skill for living life that brings the positive result of being prepared for that future when it arrives. Those who fail to plan and prepare for the future by investing in short and long term savings reveal the reality that followed a faulty plan that resulted in them failing to be prepared financially for that future when it arrives.

Today, I would like us to look at some guiding principles that the Bible provides when it comes to investing. We discover a first guiding principle a little further in the Book of Proverbs, in Proverbs 21:5:

The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, But everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty.

In this proverb, we see Solomon provide for us a contrast of two types of investors. One type of investor is diligent. Diligence, simply put, is thoughtful and industrious plodding. This is a person who carefully and thoughtfully makes calculations and plans when it comes to investing. Solomon states for this type of investor, the result is advantage. In other words their investments make steady progress over time that leads to abundance.

Solomon then contrasts the diligent investor with the hasty investor. The hasty investor makes quick decisions without careful thought. The hasty investor is making the plan up as they go along and often changes that plan without much though as they go along. The hasty investor is looking to get rich quick. Solomon states that for this type of investor, the result is poverty.

Solomon here is revealing for us the reality that investing requires diligence. Investing is not a get rich quick endeavor. Investing requires careful and thoughtful planning and the diligence to stick with the plan and not become distracted by a get rich quick scheme. Because usually, the people who become rich in the get rich quick scheme is not the investor, it is the one who is running the investment. Take Bernie Madolf, as the most recent example.

But not only does investing require diligence; in Ecclesiastes 11:1-2, we see Solomon reveal for us a second guiding principle when it comes to investing. Let’s discover that guiding principle together:

Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days. Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.

Here we see Solomon paint for us a word picture designed to reveal a guiding principle in investing. To fully understand the word picture, however, we first need to understand what Solomon means when he uses the phrase “Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days”. In Solomon’s day, as it is today, some trade and commerce was conducted over the waterways. Unlike today, however, maritime trade involved to use of wind power. In addition, ships were made of wood. As a result, maritime commerce was much riskier that commerce conducted over land.

Solomon uses this word picture to explain that just like maritime trade, investing is risky. Just like maritime trade, there is the possibility of loss when it comes to investing. Yet, in spite of the risks that are involved, the Jewish people still went ahead and engaged in maritime trade. And in the same way, despite the risks of investing, we should engage in investing.

Solomon then describes how we should engage in investing so that we manage the risk of investing in verse 2. Because there is danger in maritime trade, what traders would do is run several small ships that left at differing times instead of running one larger ship on a single load. That way, if misfortune struck, you would not lose the entire product that was being traded.

Solomon uses this word picture to reveal for us the reality that investing requires diversity. Instead of investing all of our resources in a single investment, we reduce the risks that come in investing by diversifying our investments. We even have a phrase in our culture for this, don’t we? “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”.

When we diversify our investments, we reduce risk and demonstrate wise management and planning for our future that results in a positive return on our investment. And there are many financial advisors that apply the principles of diligence and diversity when it comes to investing. Because, the timeless reality is that when it comes to treasure, those who fail to plan for the future financially plan to fail financially in the future.

So how are you doing when it comes to investing? Are you planning for the future financially?