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Posted by WildB (Member # 2917) on :

Pastor Bob, I recently watched my retirement portfolio drop by more than half in just a couple of months' time and I cant seem to get over it. I think about it all the time and obsess about what I should have done differently. Im a Christian and love God, but a friend of mine says she thinks Im clinically depressed.
B. Thorton, OK

We all too easily forget that, as Colossians 1:13,14 tells us, being born again means more than just a ticket to Heaven when we die.It means a change in citizenship:For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (NASB)

Each kingdom mentioned in the verse above has its own economy. And in a sense, each one has its own treasury. Jesus talks about those two treasuries in the Sermon on the Mount. "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. (Matthew 6:19-20)

Dont get the wrong idea. God isnt against saving for the future.

Jesus is simply saying, It is possible to make an investment that is not subject to all the stock market variations or economic downturns.You can invest in heavenly things rather than in earthly things.

What does that mean? The very next verse tells us. For where you treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:21)Listen, wherever your treasure is, thats where youll find your heart.

If I witness 20 times a day, have the Bible memorized, and am so spiritual I practically glow in the dark, does that make me a super-Christian? Is it proof that my heart is fully resident in Heaven? Jesus would say,Maybe, maybe not. Lets see where Bobs treasure is.

According to Jesus, thats how you tell. To locate the heart, follow the treasure. If a temporary drop in your portfolio can rob you of your joy, its a good indicator that your heart has followed those investments. Some aggressive investment in heavenly things is the
only cure.