by Linzy Slayden
You may be familiar with the term day-trader. A day-trader is a high-risk investor who jumps in and out of the stock market, often many times a day, to capitalize on small price changes. These people have virtually no interest in the companies whose stock they are purchasing. They are simply trying to catch stocks that they think are going to rise in value, and then they will sell and go looking for other quick-pick opportunities.
The church is not like the stock market, but within the church there are a lot of what I call day-traders. They know a little about God, and think they can buy a small share of Christianity without first investigating Jesus’ claim to being Lord over all of their lives. They show up with a “What’s in it for me” mentality.
The great need in our churches today is for investors, not consumers. We need folks who stay faithful and invest their time, energy, finances, talents, personality, wisdom, and experience to build the church and accomplish the vision of world evangelism. It takes hard work and patience, but it pays off. The local church is the greatest work in the world and it deserves our full devotion.
Luke 14:25 tells us that Jesus was speaking to “great multitudes.” What He has to say was not just to His core followers. There is a phrase that rings through this passage three times and gives the message Jesus is sharing a pungent sharpness that you can’t miss. Three times Jesus says, “He cannot be my disciple” (verses 26, 27, and 33). Unlike a few churches today, Jesus was not looking for a crowd. He was looking for commitment. He was not looking for decisions alone. He was looking for disciples. He was looking for men and women who would invest their lives in a cause bigger than their own plans.
Too many Christians today have a consumer mentality instead of an investor mentality. Our churches would be much stronger if we embraced the investor approach. Therein lies the challenge … to take consumers and make them investors.
I think the same is true in the BBFI. Just think how much the BBFI could accomplish for the Lord if we had an investor mentality instead of a consumer mentality! If pastors — young and old and in between — brought their abilities, passion for ministry, wisdom, energy, personality, finances, and experience to the work, we could accomplish much more for the Lord than we are doing now.
We want to keep our BBFI projects strong and invest in new opportunities for ministry but it takes prayer, manpower, and finances. It takes pastors of all ages to invest in our movement. The BBFI is unique and it is worth the investment. There are many kinds of churches in the big tent of the BBFI and they all are invited to support the major causes of the Fellowship. Let’s be investors in this great work of God.