Check on Your Investments

   I had recently graduated college and was being offered my first contract for the teaching position of my dreams. I was so focused on signing my contract that I hadn’t even given thought to the fact my employer would have me sign up for my benefits during the hiring session. Aside from signing up for health insurance, the benefits coordinator wanted to know specifics such as how much I’d like to set aside for retirement and who my beneficiaries would be. I hardly knew the terms of my contract; let alone how much I’d like to be investing into retirement. I was out of my depth at this point in time, so I made a small investment in a low-risk account. I intended for this decision to be a place holder of sorts while I took time to familiarize myself with the options. Unfortunately, life got in the way and this investment was not prioritized for many years. Once I finally sat down with my financial advisor, I felt pained to see how little my investments grew. I wasn’t making a profit each quarter, as the management fee collected was greater than the return I was making. The early decision I made was actually doing the exact opposite of what I intended. I missed out on years of compounding interest because I simply failed to regularly check on my investments.

As Christians, we are prompted through the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:19-20 to store up and make heavenly investments. Being a good steward of these spiritual investments yield dividends in Heaven and on Earth! It should be our priority to regularly check these spiritual investments, as they yield eternal results. Some simple self-reflections might be:

Is my prayer life consistent and strengthening my relationship with God?
Have my Bible reading and devotional time impacted my thoughts and conduct?
Am I using my talents in ways that serve and honor Him?
Has my connection to the Lord caused me to be fruitful in all aspects of my life? 
Are His praises continually in my mouth and are my actions reflective of the worship He deserves?
Does my engagement within the body of Christ help promote unity?

Kristen Swanson resides in Portage, IN and attends Portage United Pentecostal Church. She is wife to Scott, mother to McCoy and Oliver, teacher to Ignite Youth and Central Elementary 3rd graders. You can often find Kristen baking, walking her two dogs, traveling, or encouraging others.

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