I recently met a new Cru staff couple who had people raising eyebrows at a few of their decisions.
After they became empty nesters, they bought a large three-bedroom home with an attached apartment as an investment. God gave them the idea of inviting two widows and a young couple from their church to live with them in Christian community. Picture it: six adults from their mid-twenties to mid-seventies living together in one home.
Each invitee accepted, at least partly because they were in challenging financial positions. It raised a lot of eyebrows, and some of their friends kept watching, waiting for things to fall apart.
But they never did.
They formed a life group in the home, did fun things as a group regularly and often ate together. They became close friends. God used the time to bless all of them relationally, and the guests were able to regain a firm financial footing. They experienced true Christian community, much like the believers in Acts 2. The large home has since been sold, and each guest is now living elsewhere, but all have treasured memories of their time together.
This couple had uncovered extra wealth that wasn’t tied to their bank account.
It got me thinking about how much each of us have and how little of it gets used to its capacity. Homes, cars, tools and toys – and even the skills we possess. God calls us to be good stewards, and it’s easy to think that it’s just about money, but that is only the beginning. Everything we have is entrusted to us to put love into action and build the kingdom of God.
Are you using everything you have to its full capacity? You might not be swimming in cash, but has God blessed you an abundance of other gifts? Take some time to creatively explore new ways to use what He has given you.
Consider the following questions:
Since I work in training new Cru staff members, I often see their needs firsthand: housing while developing their team of ministry partners, cars that need repair, and a need for encouragement and counsel. Both in and outside of the body of Christ, there are many opportunities to invest what God has entrusted to us to build the kingdom of God.
The needs are many, but fortunately so are the resources within the body of Christ. What forgotten wealth could you tap into today?
I’m sure there are many other creative ways to accomplish more with your resources. What have you tried? Share in the comments below!
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