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The Eternal Investment Counselor
By Randy Alcorn
Randy Alcorn is a former pastor and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries, a
teaching ministry in Gresham, Ore.
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[Editor’s note: In his book The
Law of Rewards: Giving What You Can’t Keep to Gain
What You Can’t Lose, author and teacher Randy Alcorn makes a clear, compelling
case for an underemphasized scriptural principle: that believers will receive differing
rewards in heaven depending on their actions and choices here on earth. In this excerpt
from the book, Alcorn acts as an eternal financial counselor—giving prudent investment
advice regarding the giving of possessions and treasures in light of eternity. Perhaps as
a professional advisor, Alcorn’s advice can assist you in developing a new investment
strategy for your Christians clients with generosity at its core.]
Momentary Sacrifice, Eternal Gain
The patriarchs lived as “aliens and strangers on earth”, spending their
days “longing for a better country—a heavenly one” (Hebrews 11:13-16). Peter
encouraged Christians to find joy by focusing not on the trial that will go on only “a little
while,” but on their heavenly inheritance that will never perish (1 Peter 1:4-9). Paul
said, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing the glory that will
revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for
us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17).
Paul speaks not of a glory achieved for Christ but “for us.” Likewise, Jesus
didn’t say, “Store up for me treasures in heaven”; he said, “Store up for
yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20, italics mine). Of course, only
Christ will be honored as the object of our worship in heaven. We will gladly lay our
crowns, our rewards, before his throne, so he receives the ultimate glory (Revelation
4:10-11). Yet Scripture teaches that we will not only behold his glory but participate in it
(Romans 8:18-19).
Paul spoke about the Philippians’ financial giving, explaining, “Not that I am
looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account”
(Philippians 4:17). God keeps an account open for us in heaven, and every gift given
for his glory is a deposit in that account. When we give, we withdraw funds from our
earthly account to have them credited to our heavenly account. Not only God, not only
others, but we are the eternal beneficiaries of our giving.
The money God entrusts to us is eternal investment capital. Every day is an
opportunity to buy up more shares in His kingdom.
You can’t take it with you, but you can send it on ahead.
It’s a revolutionary concept that changed my life and my family’s. If you
embrace it, I guarantee it will change your life too.
The Most High Yields
Financial planners have a hard time convincing people to look ahead instead
of focusing on today, this week, or this year. “Don’t think just one year ahead,” they tell
you. “Think thirty years ahead.” But the truth is, thinking thirty years ahead is only
slightly less shortsighted than thinking thirty days ahead. Wise people think ahead not
just to the retirement years, not merely to the end of their earthly life, but to
eternity. We shouldn’t say, “Think thirty years ahead,” but “Think thirty
million years ahead.”
Financial counselors point out the difference between investing the same
yearly amounts in an individual retirement account starting at age twenty-five or age
forty. At retirement, the bottom-line difference is huge. This is good insight for the
Christian who is storing up for eternity: The sooner you get started, the more you’ll have
awaiting you.
God’s eternal prospectus bears a careful look in light of its guaranteed rate of
interest. Jesus promises an ultimate return of a hundred times—a 10,000 percent rate
of interest that lasts forever (Matthew 19:29). What earthly investment compares to
that?
Based on Christ’s words, let me assume the role of “eternal financial
counselor” and offer some advice: Choose your investments carefully, compare rates
of interest, and evaluate how your investments will be working for you a few million
years from now.
Unbelievers see with what Jesus called the “bad eye”. The Christian’s view of
finances, seen through a “good eye,” should be radically different. True, we may
participate in some of the same earthly investments. Occasionally our short-term goals
will appear similar. But our long-term goals and purposes should be fundamentally
different.
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