I am not the most financially adept person, but one thing I do understand is the idea of a return on investment. If you’ve never heard of that premise, the idea is this: When you invest in something, it is wise to invest in something with value that will appreciate or grow over time. If you do that, what you invested in will grow and when you return to it you have more than what you started with because you invested in something that was an appreciating asset. You got a return on your investment. In a different way, this is how the economy of the Kingdom of God works too, and I believe that is what God wants us to take from our scriptures today.

When you invest in the Kingdom of God you always get a return on your investment, but it’s not always as easy to measure as the stock market. What I really mean is people. The Kingdom of God is built in and through people, and I want us to get this because this is what the teachers of the law during Jesus’ time couldn’t get. They thought that the Kingdom of God would be this actual Kingdom here on Earth that the Messiah would be king of and that Kingdom would rule them all and defeat their oppressors. This wasn’t the Kingdom Jesus spoke of and they hated Him for it. Jesus’ Kingdom was one that was built in the hearts, minds, and souls of the people who spent time with Him, not the one who the teachers of the law wanted.

The same is true today. This Kingdom is alive in the heart and soul of every follower of Jesus because the Kingdom of God is built in people.

So, how do we invest in the Kingdom of God? How do we, in total joy, sell all that we have and buy that field with the hidden treasure of the Kingdom of God in it like the man we read about today? You love people and you love them well. It really is as simple as that. Now, I know what you’re thinking. Aren’t people really difficult to love sometimes? Yep! Almost all the time to be exact. They absolutely are, and Jesus’ example proved that loving people is messy and often difficult. Think of the things He went through to love us. He was mocked, ridiculed, called a liar, denied and betrayed by close friends, put to shame because of the cross that He carried for us, and ultimately, He was put to death all because He loved us. Jesus invested in His Kingdom through loving people, and it’s our job to continue to invest in it today.

Bottom Line: The Kingdom of God is made of people, so if you want the greatest return on your investment in God’s Kingdom, invest in people. How do we do that? Simply put, love well and love always.

I want to address something before we’re done here today. I know that some of you have relationships that are literally broken, toxic, unhealthy or all the above. If you need help in discerning how to love those around you, ask for help. Find your House Church pastor, your Godly community, or somebody you know who loves you, and loves Jesus, and ask for help. As we talked about in Tuesday’s devo, you are not meant to do this alone, and in the end, you can’t. If you need help, ask for it.

Reflection:

• If you have ever read anything by Bob Goff, then you probably recognize a lot of what I wrote today. Most of it came from his book, Everybody Always. I highly recommend you buy that and read it. It’ll change the way you view and treat people, and it will help you love people well.
• As we talked about yesterday, start small with your investments. Take a look at your life today, find the people who your life intersects with regularly (and if it helps, write them down) then ask God to show you how you can love those people well.
• Continue doing that for the rest of this week, and at the end of the week, write down all the things you’ve seen God do through your small investments into His people.
• Prayer: God, thank You for loving me. Thank You for being faithful to me, investing in me, and loving me well even when it was difficult. Thank You for Your Word and the guidance that it provides in my life and my relationships. Thank You for the people who You have placed in my life and the opportunities that You’ve given me to invest in Your Kingdom by investing in Your people. Give me the eyes to see the people who You’ve placed in my life and the opportunities to love them. Teach me how to love them well today. We thank You, and we love You. Amen.

Family Application: Finding God’s Treasure

• Do you ever think about finding hidden treasure? We have all seen movies or read stories of someone following a map or deciphering a secret code that leads to hidden treasure. Imagine the excitement of finding a treasure chest full of gold, diamonds, jewels, and pearls! The reason we all dream of finding treasure is because of its value and worth, and because it is beautiful and rare. In other words, there is nothing like it in the world; if it was ours, we could do almost anything! If we knew where something of high value was located, we would do almost anything to find it.
• The Bible tells us that the kingdom of heaven is even MORE valuable than treasure, and it is much better because it is not hidden, and it is not hard to find. God loves us so much, He made sure that we could know how to have a relationship with Him. The Bible also says that in the Kingdom of Heaven we are in the presence of God, and with God, all things are possible. When we believe in Jesus, that He is God’s Son and He forgives our sin, we then have a relationship with God and are in His presence. Because we have a relationship with Him, we will spend forever and ever with Him!
• Prayer: God, thank You so much for loving us like You do - for sending Jesus and making a way for us to know You and be with You. Help us to learn about You, follow Jesus, and live like Jesus lived on earth.