Wheres the Next Generation of Investors?
I just finished conducting a funeral for a wonderful old saint of the Lord. He was a pillar in our church having attended for nearly a quarter of a century and serving as a deacon, greeter and in many other capacities. But what few people knew about this man was the depth of his generosity.
He was an exceptionally successful business man though you wouldnt know it by his lifestyle. He kept that simple. I believe one of the reasons he wanted to live simply was because it allowed him to do more for others and to be generous to the Lords work.
Those who attend my church who read this will probably figure out about whom I am writing and thats OK though he would surely give me a scolding for doing this. I would classify this man as an investor. Let me give you some examples:
- Each year at the beginning of school, if we had some kids who couldnt attend because of financial problems, hed write a check to make sure they got a Christian education.
- The last time he attended church, weakened with cancer and surgery, he tucked a check for $1,000 in my hand to help purchase materials for our Living Beyond Reality home study campaign for evangelism. You could hardly read his writing, but even then, he had a heart for helping out.
- If he heard of someone who needed tires on their car or were having a problem financially, hed take care of it, but only under the condition that we didnt tell who had helped them.
- He faithfully tithed plus more and always participated in a significant way in any special offering or project.
- This is kind of personal, but at Christmas and Thanksgiving, he would often bring my family a honey-baked ham or turkey breast (our favorite) or a gift certificate to a restaurant that we wouldnt normally have gone to because of price with a handwritten note. Little things like that go along way to keep a pastor and his family encouraged.
He did these things and I never asked him to do a thing. He just heard about the need and then wanted to take care of it. He was an investor.
His generation is dying off far too rapidly. He was a WW2 vet and Im told that they are dying off at the rate of 1,000 a week. He was a hard-shelled businessman who gave you quality work for an agreed upon price and his word was as good as his bond. He did it right and particularly so if it was the Lords work. In fact, after he finished doing a project for the ministry, he would almost always take the profit from the project after it was completed and turn around and put it right back in the offering. He wasnt going to make money off of working for Gods people.
Todays generation is more about whats in it for me? Special offerings? Id just be thankful if theyd follow the Biblical practice of tithing. We look to the government to bail us out of trouble without thinking of how we might be used by God to meet some personal need for someone. We are far faster to heap criticism on leadership than encouragement. We spend and borrow to attain a lifestyle that holds us hostage and we dont have the breathing space financially to look for ways to invest in others.
I know this, our ministry today was built by Godly and devoted men who saw themselves as tools and conduits for Gods resources which flowed through them. I wonder if my generation and the one after me will live their lives and groom their hearts in such a way that we also will be investors in what God wants to do in us and through us.
Anonymous said,
September 19, 2005 @ 11:44 pm
You ask a very good question. Sounds like this was a very good man in your church. It seems as if there is a lot of talk about the WW2 generation and how much it is admired for their character and spiritual depth but when it comes to following their advice or counsel too many times it is ignored, laughed at or even scorned. Modern day christians and church leaders today have a new way to do things and dismiss the ways of what has been called “one of the greatest generations ever” as old-fashioned and irrelevant in todays techo-advanced world–and then wonder why they are having so many problems in the church. Modern day mega-churches with their contemporary services, ear-itching messages, and casual dress atmosphere are springing up everywhere. They are filled to the brim with warm bodies on Sunday morning but where are they at on Sunday night and Wednesday night? So much for the “3-to-thrive” from the old fogies like Lee Roberson. Why are so many churches struggling financially with such “successful” attendance programs? Why isn’t a spirit of revival sweeping America with all the Joel Osteens and Rick Warren “wannabee’s”? I believe it’s because true spiritualism has been replaced by emotionalism. Kudos to these leaders who know how to generate a crowd but is it man-driven growth generated by appealing to the physical senses or God-driven growth generated by the Holy Spirit’s drawing? The difference can be found at the altar. Most people are drawn to these churches by the excitement of an emotionally charged, contemporary “worshipful performance” experience, (along with a cup a cappachino) and will raise their arms with an ethereal gaze towards heaven, but it’s only a feeling that lasts about as long as it takes for the arms to come back to the normal position. Interestingly one can also see this same reaction during a rock concert. It’s sad that a lot people “think” they are worshipping but it’s only an “appearance” and therefore “has no power thereof”. In today’s churches emotions and intellectualism are mistakenly perceived as spiritualism but hearts are never changed when the service is over, and subsequently true spiritual growth, maturity and character never occurs. Perhaps a dose of old-fashioned, old time “prayer meetings in the woods” would be a good place to start. Children today need to see real men on their knees crying out to God, fervently asking for Him to move amongst His people like our fathers did or else we will lose this forever. And as far as the casual dress goes I believe one day in the not to distant future no one will know what “Sunday Shoes” are.