I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. Luke 16:9-10
“I was talking to a wealthy friend one time about the ways that he invests his money, wondering how he made his investment decisions. What industries and businesses did he prefer, and so on? What he said applies to our discussion here. He told me that he does not invest in businesses, other than his own. When he said that, I disagreed, as I knew of several that he had invested in, and I said so. “Not true,” he said. “I did not invest in those businesses at all. I don’t know anything about those industries.
What I invested in was what I always invest in: the person. In all of those investments, I knew the leader and his or her team, their track record, and their character. That is what I was investing in, not the business. I would not have understood it if they had tried over and over to explain it. Surely I looked at it and tried to understand as best I could, but the real investment was in the people who were running it and whom I trusted.”
Henry Cloud in Necessary Endings: The Employees, Businesses, and Relationships That All of Us Have to Give Up in Order to Move Forward (San Francisco: HarperCollins, 2011) 80-81.
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone.
As I finish reading this book before Lent and come upon this special day, this post seemed fitting. I want to start by thanking readers out there for the love they have show me, for the trust they have placed in me, and for the investments they have made in me. Thanks.
Now a comment to apply today’s Scripture and post to our lives.
Use whatever worldly wealthy you have to make friends for eternity. And invest in people with a track record that you can trust. Send them a message today that you love them and you believe in them. Send them a word of encouragement and a prayer of blessing.
Life is short. Invest in good people!
Today for Valentine’s Day I got Jenni some special gifts. And we are also doing a food tour in downtown Denver. We will taste Italian, Mexican, and more over three hours. Why do this? It’s an investment in our marriage. And Jenni is the best thing that ever happened to me next to Jesus.
Again, Happy Valentine’s Day everyone.