I love a good blog written by a good writer with good insight and no agenda other than to share what speaks to them.
One of my favorites is written by Steven Furtick. He happens to be this uber-cool young pastor barely into his 30’s who leads a church in Charlotte, NC that gathers 9000 people a week. 9000 people can’t be wrong ~ this guy is amazing. When I have time, I like to listen to some of his podcasts and I subscribe to his blog simply because they are quick reads and always, always chock full of tidbits to think about.
Yesterday, he wrote about people investing in one another. You have NO idea how time sensitive this was for me to read! Just this week, I made the decision to sever a relationship based solely on someones unwillingness to invest…and no, I’m not being overly sensitive here. They actually said they were too busy to invest in getting to know me. Pretty sobering to feel that from someone, yet alone actually hear it. That was a first and, I suppose, this person did garner some respect from me just by their honesty alone. They saved me time and energy, after all.
The beauty is that it’s okay. Some people invest enough to get by, some people invest heavily and some people don’t have time to invest at all. But I loved Steven’s words about what the bible says regarding investing in people…
You see this same sentiment from Paul when he’s speaking to the Philippians and their investment into his ministry:
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now… It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. (Philippians 1:3-5,7)But I want you to know that this isn’t just true of pastors and ministries. It’s true of every person you invest in. Whether it’s your children, your boss, your staff, the people in your small group, or the waiter at your table.
Every person you encourage.
Every person you mentor.
Every person you’re generous towards.
Every person you believe in.
Everywhere they are, you are.Let’s be people that other people thank God for every time they remember us and the deposit we’ve put into them. Let’s be people whose reach extends beyond ourselves because we have invested in other people beside ourselves.
I don’t always get it right. I miss opportunities to invest in people who need it because of simple oversight. Personally, I’m going to be more diligent about investing in people I may not know very well because, frankly, I know what it feels like to be invested in. Invaluable and this week, in particular, highly appreciated.
Abiding in Him,
Amy