An investment can be referred to as an item that is purchased as an asset, with the intention that it will either appreciate in the future and be sold for profit, or it will generate income either daily, monthly or annually. An investment is a means towards wealth creation. Investment includes the purchase of stocks and bonds, real estate, business, among others. These are acquired with the sole aim of revenue generation. But an investment which leaves the investor at a loss is a liability rather than an asset.
In the light of the above, self-investment is the process or procedure of investing in oneself so as to become an asset to the world. By being an asset, it means that you contribute towards solving problems rather than creating problems. Those that create problems for the World are referred to as liabilities and those who solve them are assets. In order to become an asset, you must develop yourself to make yourself valuable otherwise you will not be missed when you exit this world. An example of someone that could be referred to as an asset to his generation is Martin Luther King (Jnr). Many years after his death, he is still celebrated because of his contributions to the world, and this happened because he took the time to first invest in himself.
Spiritually, there is an urgent need to invest in things of the spirit for these are the things that lead to eternal life.“Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” – John 6:27. The reason is that this world is slowly fading away and what matters most is where you would spend eternity. The only way to ensure that you spend eternity in Heaven is to make sure the investment is genuine for your spiritual well-being. Investing in the spirit includes:
Praying and meditating constantly – currently, we forget that prayer is communicating with God. This means that while you tell Him all that you want, you have to listen to his response. Praying often brings you closer to God. Meditation, on the other hand, is when you sit silently while your mind wanders on the things of the spirit. You sit in a quiet place without distractions of any sort and you do not allow your mind wander to earthly matters.
Constantly immersing yourself in the Word of God – This you can easily do by making out time to read and study the Bible. Often times, because of busy schedules, it is advisable that you study it either at midnight or first thing when you wake up. This will ensure that you will not get distracted and you will be able to hear God speak to you through the scriptures thereby building you up spiritually
Acts of charity – Investing in yourself spiritually is not complete without engaging in acts of charity. This means that you provide aid to others in need without them asking. It means also that you alleviate the plight of those suffering around you. Help pay fees, contribute to a charity and spending your time helping others are just a few of the ways in which you can provide acts of charity to others.
One beauty of spiritual self-investment is that it helps us in the making of decisions and also guards our steps. We encounter trouble much less when we are always in tune with the things of the spirit. In fact, we may be warned in the spirit against certain wrong decisions which would cause us some measure of heartache and pain.
Above all, investing in oneself spiritually is a sure path to Heaven. After all, “for what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Mark 8:36
