I would have to admit looking at a future in ‘full time missions’ is a bit of a financial decision. This is a very selfish decision. A very wise decision.
We were learning about money. Learning about investments, stocks, real estate, trying to decide which direction we would be heading in life.
I am a personal trainer. This is a job that comes so easily, it is a lot of fun, and it is the field I have loved since I was five. I love exercise and I love teaching exercise, I loved my clients, I was being paid (very well) to spend hours every day with people who are KINGS. Very successful people. Hardworking people who taught me so much about life for years. My business was at the point where I would turn people away, I was working as much or as little as I wanted and the year before coming out on this race I took 8 weeks off from work, just to do fun stuff. I was usually home from work by 11am, my workout already in and the rest of the day to kill. I would nap and read and walk my dog and watch a movie and drink some beer, smoke a cigar, and then
Linnea would come home from work.
LIFE WAS GOOD.
We were making enough money to be way ahead on our bills and saving over $1000 a month. God was providing very nicely. I started reading books on money and investing. Wondering where the next challenge would come from. I had given up my hobby of strongman competitions the day we were engaged, and looked at my marriage, my career, and my dog as my challenge. At the time that I started reading basic financial books, I had surpassed my career goals, marriage was very strong, and our dog was by far the best dog around (which of course every NEEDS to believe about their own dog). I really was riding a nice wave.
I was feeling pretty strong spiritually as well, felt we were balancing our lives with involvement or commitment to church, young adult group, and youth group, and were committed to spending at least 4 weeks a year on short term trips. We were giving way more than the minimum of 10% of ‘our’ money (before taxes) back to God. Really, God was blessing every thing our hands touched. (ok, that is some tooting my horn, but previous to this time in my life I had always been almost flat broke most of the time, just getting by)
I had read some of the best sellers, especially the “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” stuff- he made a subject I knew very little about slightly clearer. I especially appreciated his explaining assets vs. liabilities and helping me to understand that I had a “poor man’s” view on money. Basically, I think like a poor man. I would highly suggest Robert Kiyosaki’s stuff for almost everyone I know who has to work a job. Kiyosaki (the author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad) wants to help people to get out of what he calls the ‘rat race’. This is the endless cycle of work and taxes and debt. I learned how ignorant I am of how to make my money work for me.
Then, I read a life changing book. This was by Ron Blue. I can’t remember the name of the book, but he was educating Christians on how to be good stewards of their finances. This is the book that completely and radically changed my life.
I have had difficulty in the past putting words to the experience, difficulty trying to explain my reasoning, so I will try again:
One of the terms I became comfortable with was ROI, or return on investment. I can not remember the correct numbers, but it sounded like an ROI of 10% is really good, and the number they used showed what could happen with certain amounts of money over time…how many years it would take a certain amount of money to become one million dollars. Much of the book was an eye opener for me, but return on investment is what kept working through my thoughts. And the amount of hard work and patience is required to have ‘enough’ money, and for me nothing is ever ‘enough’.
Ron Blue explained about tithing and serving God with our money, and that is great, the Bible, in my mind is pretty clear on how we are to use our money. (I don’t believe we are called to be rich or to be poor, we are all called to different material gifts and ministries, but we are all told to give. We are to be generous. We can not serve both God and money. Money is not the root of evil, but the love of money will lead us into all kinds of evil.) We are to serve God with our money. How does this look? I think simply we are to use the money God has given us to expand the kingdom. This kingdom Jesus talked about so much.
So the part of this education that changed me was realizing how I have such limited resources, how limited I am. Why would I spend my time and energy to build up wealth which does not last (Matt 6:19-21)? Why invest my time and energy trying to build up money and then give a small percentage of money towards the kingdom? So the plan would be: I can invest my money wisely, maybe earn a 10% ROI, then tithe to God off of that? And pay all those taxes on that income? That does not make sense. It seems like a lot of work for so little kingdom investment. If kingdom investments return 30, 60, or 100 fold (Matthew 13:23) why would I only be giving 10% of my money to God? So that a mere 10% of my income (no matter how big?) can earn up to 100 fold for eternity, when I can pour all my resources into kingdom investments and receive up to (maybe more?) 100 FOLD (not percent) for eternity? On all my resources?
OK, it seems like a no-brainer, doesn’t it? A minimum guarantee of 30 fold up to 100 fold return on my investment, for eternity? And the best part is how my decision has opened up the opportunity for so many more people to be able to invest their resources and for them to receive blessings on earth and a huge return on their investment for eternity. It seems to be how God does things.
But seek first his kingdom…(Matt 6:33)
