I’m telling you, now is the time to double your investment, if you’re a Christian. In fact, if you’ve got the guts, go all in, double it for sure, but even triple it, quadruple it; lay it all on the line. You’ll be okay. Better than okay. You’ll be great! And if you aren’t a Christian yet, now is the time to become one, you won’t be sorry.
I know what you’re probably thinking. Now is not the time to take risks; the market is looking very shaky lately, and current thinking is certainly not favorable towards those of faith right now. For anyone looking at the numbers it can even appear hopeless: the numbers are drastically dwindling for membership in all of the churches, people who say they believe in Christ and live their lives by this faith are at an all-time low, the culture and society as a whole are dismantling the Christian underpinnings of all of our institutions, and everywhere you look one sees earnest attempts to appropriate the good things which our faith has provided—such as love and respect for all people—but by removing these wonderful things from their roots in the faith. And there are concerted efforts to do away altogether with the Christianity which spawned these good things throughout history.
Christians, here and around the world, are methodically and inexorably becoming the targets of anger, hostility and hatred by the secular majorities. So I can understand if you might think it better to fold, and take your money and run; or hide it someplace safe. But you know, that doesn’t sound like our Lord, Jesus Christ—the One who turned over the tables of the money-changers in the temple, and the One who extoled us to be light to this world, and not to hide His light, which he’s given us, under a bushel.
Christianity appears to be in great retreat in our land, so it may seem foolish now, of all times, to invest yourself more heavily; or even to put it all on the line (if you are so bold). But that’s my advice, to myself, and to you. I can be prone to despair, even depression from time to time, especially in the face of growing adversity, but a good friend just yesterday reminded me of the times of the Old Testament prophets; they were not easy times either. Throughout history times have been very tough, and yet Christians stood and grew stronger in their faith in these times, and in their witness to this broken world. When times are darkest, the light grows brightest.
I encourage all of us to add our light to the light of other Christians and to advance courageously into the culture. We have always been at our best, and our victories have been the most remarkable when all appeared lost. The best example being when Jesus Christ himself was dying on the cross. To the eyes of the world, that wasn’t a good moment for his followers; but in reality that was the moment of His greatest triumph and the moment that changed human existence forever, giving us victory over death through Jesus Christ.
If there are ever times in history to play it safe, now is definitely not one of them. Everyone seems to be selling off and running for cover; many in the world today even seem to be afraid of their own shadow. There’s never been a better time to buy; you’ll reap vast rewards in this world, and in the next. Invest everything you have, into your Christian life!
~FS
Prayerful Life 