Eternal Investments ...

How is your 401k doing?  Are you too scared to look?  Do you even have one?  Most of us try to plan for our retirement.  But we do it too late.  We invest too little.  And we hope for a financial miracle to keep us afloat.  But if you used to work at Enron, you know what it is like to see your long-term investments come to nothing in a matter of a few weeks.  Many of us crave financial security, but where it comes to money, there is nothing secure about it.  Past Enron we nearly had a complete financial collapse of our banking systems here in America.  Had this happened it would have surely caused a domino effect collapse throughout the entire world’s economy.  So we threw tons of tax payer money at it, to keep it afloat.  Witness the miracle of men, of a reluctant Congress, and of a monetary system that in all actuality is based in your “faith” in the value of American dollars – not in any inherent value of them.  Our gold is not connected to our dollars, it has not been that way since Nixon.  Our faith remains though, and it is our faith that allows our government even now, to throw tons of money at the covid-19 financial collapse.  But our government is not so ready to completely eliminate our need, only to partially meet it, and force us back to work – even if it kills us.  Not much of a miracle if you ask me.  But then, this is not a miracle of God, it is the half-baked attempt of a miracle of men, of a reluctant leadership to do the minimum it can.

Monetary policy in this world, is not such a great thing.  Economics in this world is not any better.  So let’s talk about the currency of our heavenly kingdom for a moment.  First, as I have said many times, rocks have little value past being something nice to look at.  Gold is nothing more than concrete in heaven, the streets are paved with it.  They make giant gates out of pearls.  Foundations (which are generally something you push into the ground for support, and therefore cannot even see) are made out of a variety of other stones.  Now it is said there will be “stars” in our crowns.  Most folks think of diamonds, but a diamond is a dull beast, when compared to an actual star (which gives off a light of its own, it does not wait for light to be reflected upon it).  So stars might generate some interest, but they are not used to trade for goods and services.  They are rewarded to us, one for each person, we were instrumental in helping bring to Christ to be saved.  In that sense they are a recognition of how we loved here in this world, of how we reflected Christ here in this world.  But even then, they are not a currency in heaven.

As for the economics in heaven, it will be decidedly different.  For God does all the real work.  Everything you need to eat, God will provide to you.  It will grow naturally and never decay.  And everything you eat will be transformed into pure energy within your internal systems (leaving nothing for waste, as it does here).  As for housing, God builds you a mansion in His city we call heaven.  So housing is already provided, even if that does not stop you from building country homes, or other cities, or planets, as you have the interest – but never the necessity.  So in our heavenly utopia, looking at it from here, you would think there is no currency in heaven.  But there is.  What is valued in heaven, by literally ALL the residents of heaven (including you one day), is the one resource that is more precious than any other, throughout all of time and space:  that my friends is people.  People are the creation of God, but they are also free-will creature who once chose badly, dooming themselves to forever isolation from God.  Reclaiming people therefore became God’s mission number one.  For every person who allows themselves to be saved, EVERYONE in heaven rejoices more than anything.  To see the lost, become the saved, is the greatest joy heaven will ever know.  Therefore it is people who are the very currency of heaven.  Jesus would go so far as to spend His own life for any one of them.

So the question remains, what would you spend?  Would you give of your means for the currency of heaven?  Would you sell everything you have in this world, to make an eternal investment in the next one?  You will not likely appreciate the value of that investment from this world, or from this reality’s perspective, even if one day you will understand it as clearly as the residents of heaven do now.  Would you go so far as to lay down your own life for the people you hope to help save?  That is a tall order.  And it is only done, by people who in this world, have come to see others, from a purely heavenly perspective, and through the transformation of Jesus in your heart, have come to love others like God loves others.  But if you are reading this BLOG, chances are high your life is not at risk right now from the saving of others.  It is probably more secure than that.  So how do you think about economics, by that I mean, how often do you think about what is really important, and eternally lasting, versus what is here and now and decidedly temporary and fickle in value?  Jesus had thoughts and ideas on this topic.  Luke recorded them in his gospel letter in the 12^th chapter.

Picking up in verse 33 Jesus says … “Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. [verse 34] For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”  If we were to translate this financial advice into today’s climate we might say:  sell everything you own, collect the funds and give it away to those in need, and in so doing you accumulate treasure in heaven.  Meeting the needs of people here, helps give them strength, love, and a reason to seek Jesus to know why you would do this.  Loving people so much, you would give everything for them, is living the way Jesus lived.  This process will change who you are, like nothing else will.  And no thieves can take it away from you.  No collapse can touch you, or bankruptcy of others come near you, no rust or moths corrupt the gift.  For giving everything is a pure gift.  It is how the residents of heaven behave and operate.  The services that exist in heaven done by anyone outside of God, are done as a gift to anyone who has need.  It is an economy based in giving, because it knows the value of every person saved by Jesus able to come home.  Jesus is asking us to put on heaven colored glasses and see what life is going to be like up there; but do it here.

And here is where you start hearing the tumbleweeds blow across the screen and the theme music from “the good, the bad, and ugly”.  Nobody; wants to move on this financial advice, this life advice.  Not since the first apostolic church, who was listening to this, has anyone been willing to give up perceived financial security in this world, to actual financial security in the economy of heaven.  Because our carnal nature wants instant gratification, not a delayed one.  It does not like the trade.  Money for people.  Yuk.  People don’t even appreciate the gift, or me for giving it.  People often waste money like it grows on trees, and hate each other, even the givers of such gifts.  Warren Buffet decided to give his money away, and people either criticize and distrust him, or line up with greed in their eyes to get some of it.  When they do get it, their gratitude lasts for the moment, just about as long as it takes them to lose it all again.  Then they want more, if they don’t get more, they become angry and resentful.  Given this, how could Jesus’ advice possibly result in adding to the currency of heaven?  Because in actuality, Jesus is trying not to cement others in the heavenly kingdom by giving them money, He is trying to cement YOU in the heavenly kingdom by changing your heart, into one that would live like He lives, and love like He loves.  What we do with the gifts of Jesus is no different than the greedy recipient of Warren Buffet’s charity.  We take the gift and internalize it.  Jesus asks us to give His gifts away, and learn to externalize them.

Jesus continues in verse 35 saying … “Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; [verse 36] And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. [verse 37] Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. [verse 38] And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.”  Notice the very next thing Jesus talks about after giving everything you own away to those in need, is becoming a servant.  After losing your money, you could expect poverty to drive you to become a servant.  But that is not how Jesus offers it.  Jesus asks you to choose to become a servant.  Giving away your goods is great, but it cannot be the end of your giving only the beginning of it.  Next, give away your services, your skills, your talents (entrusted to you by God in the first place).  Become the “servant” who awaits His Lord.  Jesus does not ask you to become Pope of the church, or head Bishop, or General Conference Leader any other power position at all.  Instead He asks you to become servant of literally everyone.  It is that kind of servant Jesus is looking for upon His return.  A servant willing to work in second and third shift of the day, or rather the night.  A servant who is faithful to serve anytime, to anyone, in any way they are able to serve.  We are often quick to focus on the first part of these texts that talks about monetary gifts, and overlook the idea of giving our time, and our services.  But giving all is important, both money, and non-money.

But then, does all this heavenly financial advice have a timing component to it?  For those of us who look for loopholes in the contracts, it sounds as though the goal is get this done “right before” Jesus returns.  As long as Jesus returns and finds us doing all this stuff we should be golden right (pardon the pun)?  No need to rush right in, we just need to sit back watch, wait, and make our eternal investments at just the right time.  Jesus anticipates our thoughts and continues in verse 39 saying … “And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. [verse 40] Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.”  There ya go.  Your best ideas about watching for the return of Jesus and knowing when it will be, are fugazi (fake, not real, not correct).  Just when you think it will never happen then, it will happen then. 

But here is the insiders view on why that happens.  Because this advice was only ever to secure the heart of the giver, not of the recipients.  It matters not one iota what the poor do with your offerings of love.  They can use them to buy illicit drugs and booze, or take them and spit in your face.  They may even use them for something they really need, that will one day lead them to the kingdom.  What the recipient does with the gift was never even part of the equation.  And your judgement of the person you give to, was never asked for or required.  Your judgment in fact, is your stumbling block, from changing who you are, not who they are.  These gifts you make say NOTHING about the poor, but they say everything about you.  Giving everything you are and have, puts you in the league of Christ.  It remains aspirational for me.  I give my tithes and offerings, and I try to serve in the ways I can.  But the gap from what I give, and what I have been asked is nothing short of substantial.  My heart aches that I do so little, and were I too fall asleep in Jesus today, I expect I would awaken to His kingdom with no stars in my crown at all, for my investments have been meager at best.  Indeed, perhaps the only thing changing in me at all, is my awareness of this fact, and a continued desire to do more about it.  But so far, my meagerness prevails.

If you struggle like I do, I would offer you a small experiment to conduct.  First, take ten one dollar bills, and roll them up in rubber band and put them in the center console of your car (out of sight of thieves).  Then whenever you come to an intersection where someone asks for money for anything, I mean any reason at all.  Open up your console take out a dollar and give it to them.  Don’t think about how they may use it, that is not the point, just give it to them.  The intent of this is to teach you not to judge, not to teach them anything other than perhaps in some small way, they are worth loving.  When the ten dollars is gone, restock it, and keep it restocked until you want to start increasing the denominations of those bills of your own free will, then do that.  Second, at whatever church you attend, find an empty role for service, and offer to fill it yourself.  It could be anything from a greeter, to helping prepare food for potlucks, to helping out in a kid’s classroom, to running the AV systems.  Anything you can do to serve.  And start serving.  It is only once a week after all.  And God will give you the talents you need to fill this role, if you, by faith, and in the Spirit of Love are willing to step forward and try to serve.  Don’t worry about being good at it.  Just be there at it.  That will be enough.  Your goal in this experiment is not to change the world, but to change you, just a little bit more.  I have done this, and it works, and it becomes addictive in nature, as God intends it.  But you will come to find it is never enough, your heart will always search for more to do.  That is the point.

Our God asks much of us, in fact He asks everything of us.  The irony, is that our perspective of what He asks is colored by where we are when He asks it.  In this world, we think it great sacrifice, sometimes beyond our ability to trust.  But in the next world, it will be a pleasure and an honor just to be asked.  We will be thrilled to fulfill the tiniest request, and still more thrilled for a big one.  If we are to understand the eternal, let us begin to grasp an eternal mindset here.  The benefits of that life can still be real here.  All it takes is a slight change in perspective, and a learned trust, that He decidedly deserves.