by Mary Herman
Investing is the best way to prepare for the future. This is true financially as well as spiritually. My parents taught us to pay God, pay ourselves (savings), and adjust our choices so we could live on the remainder. Those lessons have proved to be invaluable as life has unfolded, and especially as the retirement years grow closer.
Those same principles apply beautifully as we invest in spiritual ways. Pay God — serve and spend time with Him. Pay yourself — rest in Him, learn of Him, find comfort in His presence. Live on the rest — live by the truths you gain. One such truth comes from 2 Timothy 2:2 (a guiding verse for my missionary service). Paul instructs Timothy to be strong in grace and a soldier of the cross by sharing the things he had learned with faithful men so they might pass that truth to others. Titus 2:3-5 makes it clear mature women are responsible for sharing the wisdom they have gained with younger women. What a privilege we have to share the things God has so carefully taught us with younger women who are struggling with busy lives and personal dilemmas.
Experience is a great instructor. Every individual comes with unique gifts and experiences that mold their perceptions regarding life and, to a good extent, determines their reactions to struggles and victories. Women who have found God faithful through the struggles of life are most effective tools in God’s hand as they invest in the lives of other women. .
Encouragement is another way to invest in the next generation. A person may struggle to see God’s loving kindness and faithfulness in the midst of the storm. This is an opportunity to share how God has shown Himself faithful in times past and demonstrate trust in His future care. Paul left a wonderful model for us in the book of Philippians. He covered the issues, the credentials, the struggles, but he ended with admonitions to rejoice, pray about it, accept the peace God has for His children, and choose to see the beauty, the wonders, and the positive by taking control of our thought life and, thus, our attitude toward life, people, and relationships (Philippians 4:4-9).
As ladies, we can impact the lives of the next generations who will, in turn, impact the lives of the generations to come. I challenge you to invest, encourage, and leave a legacy to be followed. Paul was able to say in Philippians 4:9, “Those things, which ye have learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” Let us pray together that, with Paul, we can say, “Follow me and all will be well with you.” That is a great legacy!