To Invest or Not Invest?

It’s challenging for many of us to choose to step into the mess of someone else’s life. Most of us have enough mess in our own that the last thing we want is to get take on more.

I was struck by something that was shared at church last week. A young couple was moving out of state and they shared about their journey. They moved here to go to grad school. They knew it would be a temporary stop for them. She said that her natural inclination was to just get through school and not get involved, particularly with the church.

God reminded her that there is no such thing as temporary time in His kingdom. Transitional periods are intentionally designed by Him.

Life is full of what we view as temporary stops or transitional periods. For most of us, our temptation is to pull back during those times. Investing in relationships and other people takes time and effort and when we “know” we’re not going to be here long, it can be hard to justify that investment.

And yet… Jesus is our example. If anyone knew that His time was temporary, it was Jesus. He KNEW His purpose. He KNEW He came to live in this world for a relatively short time and then He’d die.

Yet He never once chose to pull back from people. Over and over we see Him intentionally stepping into the mess of people’s lives and walking alongside them. He purposefully invested in people, building relationships wherever He went.

If our Savior chose to step into our mess, how can we not do the same for those around us?

So no matter what phase you find yourself in, whether you’re in a place for the “long haul” or “just passing through”, look around. Reach out to others. Get to know them. Share your mess with them and help them in their own mess. God has placed you where you are for a purpose – press in!