Well…today is my 27th birthday and I am definitely having a day of thought and reflection! 

In my experience in the business world, a concept that I have heard a lot of is “return on investment”.  Many leaders will not make any decision in regards to product strategy, staffing, marketing, etc. without getting an understanding of what their return on their investment will be.  For example, they think through the thought: “if I hire an additional person, will these additional resource make it worth it to me in regards to my investment in paying this individual and in taking time to train them?”  What they are trying to avoid is the situation where the time/money that they invest in a person or decision is less than any potential upside that they would receive.

Even as I ponder my last 27 years today, I am struck with the thought of “How does Jesus determine His Return on Investment in me?”.  He has invested SO much in me and for me.  How does He measure that? 

Making it even harder is the fact that His view on my status in life is different that how others view my status in life.  His view on whether I am successful or not is going to be different than how others view my success.

I do not have a college degree.  (There…I said it!).    I always wanted to get one.  However, in mid-semester a few years ago, I prayed to God about how stressed out that I was feeling.  He asked me a question:

Jesus: “Did I ask you to go to school?”

Me: “No, but you know that school is important so that I can get a good job?”

Jesus: “Have I needed your college degree so far?”

Me: “Nope.  Don’t think so”.

Long story short, I quit school in mid-semester and that gave me ton more time to 1) spend with my family and 2) teach others about Christ.  The spiritual reward was amazing.  The school bill for unfinished classes was hard to swallow in a natural sense.  Others have either directly told me or hinted at what a completely stupid idea that was to quit school.  It doesn’t matter to me though because I followed what Jesus wanted me to do. 

I can close my eyes and picture the faces of people that I had an opportunity to minister to.  I can see the looks on their faces while they feel the presence of God for the first time.  I can remember that moment when a particular spiritual truth was made clear to them as if a lightbulb was turned on.  I can remember the tears of joy that I had as I watched many of them be baptized in Jesus name and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

According to the world’s scale, the return on investment for my decision to quit school was non-existent.  According to the Lord’s scale, people’s lives were changed because I obeyed Him. 

I will never be unsuccessful as long as I follow Him.  I won’t every make a mess of my life if I do not get ahead of Him, but rather let Him lead.  I will never be a failure if I put my trust in Him.

When I gave my life to Him, as Bill Johnson says, “I gave Him a blank page and signed my name at the bottom of the paper and told Him that He could fill in the blanks”. 

What type of return on investment will you fight for today?  Will you put all your effort into getting a return on investment for temporary things that will someday be like a vapor and be taken away?  Or will you put all your efforts behind a spiritual return on investment that will be eternal?

I want to know that I am successful in His eyes.  That’s all that matters to me.

Servant of a wicked cool God,

Matt Legere