My dad had the opportunity to invest in Buffalo Wild Wings stock early in the company’s history. At the time the stock was fairly cheap, but the return was uncertain so he only bought a little bit. After several years their stock value more than doubled, along with the little my dad had invested. If he had invested more in the company up front his return would have been much bigger, but in his uncertainty he held back. It’s one of the very few investment regrets he has (along with not investing more in Apple and Marvel when it was cheap to do).
Financial uncertainty is a huge factor in our every day decisions.
Should I fix the old car or is it time to get a new one? Is this a good time to buy a house or is renting better? Should I get this outfit? Can I afford Starbucks today? Do I have enough in my account to fill up my gas tank or should I just put in a couple bucks? These are the kinds of questions that spin around in our minds with every money related decision. Uncertainty affects us financially, emotionally and spiritually.
Have you ever had the opportunity to give toward something that would advance the Kingdom of God but didn’t because of financial uncertainty? Perhaps you could have given to buy Christmas gifts for kids in foster care or to feed hungry families in other parts of the world. Maybe you had the chance to invest in an outreach to the community or to help remodel the damaged home of a family in desperate need. You may be missing missing the ongoing opportunity to support the ministries of Compass Church and our efforts to make God accessible to everyone in Bloomington/Normal.
Whatever it is, uncertainty has a way of holding us back from investing in God’s mission for us. If you have resisted generosity out of fear, I have good news for you:
There is no uncertainty when you invest in the Kingdom of God.
God wants you to be generous with your money, in fact he commands it. But he gives us a guarantee along with his instruction: When you are obedient in living generously toward God he protects your investment and guarantees a return much greater than what you gave.
Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.
2 Corinthians 9:6
This generous crop may not be financial in nature. Perhaps your generous crop will be an abundance of peace and a break in the anxiety you deal with in the area of your finances. Perhaps your generous crop will be the blessing of God in your workplace or school. Perhaps it will be the transformation of your home from being a place of conflict and disagreement to a place of unity and joy in your family. Whatever the return on your investment, it is guaranteed by God.
Don’t let fear or discouragement keep you from living in generosity. Don’t miss out on the impact your giving could make for the Kingdom of God and in someone else’s life. You can do this, and you can trust God’s promise to bring a harvest of blessing into your life when you live with open hands towards him.
