Giving: God’s ROI (Return on Investment) – Great Expectations?

Andrew studied the print out comparing two investments. One had an excellent ROI. The other – not so much, at least on paper. How much would ROI factor into his decision to proceed with one, the other, or both?

ROI – the acronym for return on investment – reveals profitability and efficiency. It is a tool used to make financial decisions. The formula to calculate ROI is simple: an investment’s net gain divided by its cost. Is the investment making money? How efficient is it compared with similar opportunities?

Like Andrew, we expect a solid return when it comes to investing our resources. But we unwittingly may apply those same kinds of ROI benchmarks when giving to God, too.

God’s ROI: A Sure Thing

A look at the Parable of Talents (Matthew 25) reveals that God’s resources, when invested in obedience, always produce the return He expects. Talk about a sure thing! “(My Word) will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11, NIV). The Master’s ROI is a certainty.

Yet we evaluate the outcome of our giving based on our own human standards. Is our giving profitable in numbers we can measure? Is it efficient? Therein lays a problem. We have a set of expectations in mind. But God has His own. And they’re different than ours.

Two servants in the parable invested what the Master had entrusted to them and were praised. One did nothing and the Master rebuked him. The Master placed high value on the first two servants’ desire to please Him, their willingness to do what He asked, and their choice to trust the outcome to Him.

Our Human Expectations

Let’s take a look at Andrew’s two investments, which were in actual fact, giving opportunities. At the start, he had considered each one carefully and felt led by God to proceed with both. One investment was in a stateside church; the second was in a missionary who had poured out his life and heart serving in a remote overseas village.

After several years, the church had grown significantly and reached many who normally were not Christ-followers. During the same time period, the missionary had just one convert. At first glance, the ROI for giving to the missionary appeared unnaturally low to human eyes – perhaps not even worth the bother.

Yet was it? Andrew could not see the ultimate outcome now, but fortunately he sensed a strong leading from God to continue giving and proceeded to do so. He might never know why this side of heaven.

Two decades later, the missionary had passed away but the entire village had embraced Christ.

You Can Have Great Expectations

Andrew’s motivation to give did not rest in achieving his personal, predetermined goals. The rate of return was God’s to determine, not his. Andrew gave out of obedience to God’s leading, not knowing if he’d see a return or not. He trusted the outcome to God.

What kind of expectations do you have when giving to God?

You can have great ones. Giving to God guarantees an outstanding return.

The better question about giving to God is this: can you give as He leads and leave the specific ROI – return on your investment – to Him?