Lifetime Investments

Effective and efficient is a delicate and difficult balance... for nearly everything one sets out to accomplish.

Effective implies a level of thoroughness. A knowing of what to do, when to do, how to do and with whom, that leads one to believe a well-organized game plan was well-executed.

Efficient, on the other hand, implies a level of quickness. A keeping up a good pace, for an extended period of time, so that the well-executed, well-organized plan is completed in good time.

However, effectiveness, depending on the task, can take a long time. Likewise, efficiency comes in degrees, as not everything is meant to go at the quickest pace possible.

I thought about this yesterday afternoon, as my wife and I returned from an overnight get-away.

Not everything can be rushed. Not everything can be done quickly.

Faith in God; one's spiritual journey... is an investment. A lifetime investment.
Marriage; sharing life with you spouse... is an investment. A lifetime investment.
Parenting; raising children ready to take on the world... is an investment. A lifetime investment.

The most effective of these... require organization and follow-through.
The most efficient of these... require a commitment to invest for life.

And in a day and age, when these characteristics are applauded when achieved, yet not valued enough to be universal, we find ourselves in a dangerous place.

Decades of marriage... awesome. But we can't do that. Those days don't exist anymore.
Great parents and healthy kids... that's great. But you don't know our family; my kids.
A life of faith? That's good for you; but that's not for me.

Yet the stability, the experience, and the confidence of a life lived well, because they were committed to God and to family can not be ignored. It doesn't mean these three areas of life don't have difficulty, struggle and frustration. They do. But effective and efficient in faith and family require a commitment to a lifetime investment.

Pray, this #effectiveSunday, that a lifetime commitment, a lifetime investment would not be avoided or deflected, but encouraged. May people experience the power and presence of God in their life, for the remainder of their days. Pray for strength and clarity of purpose as they live out a genuine faith in God. Pray for Godly homes, Godly marriages, Godly parents and Godly children; may their be a re-commitment to life for God and to remain committed to our spouse and our children; that we would live real lives of real faith not afraid to let our light shine before men; that they may know our Father God in Heaven. May our lives bring glory and honor to Him because we've remained faithful to Him and to those He has blessed us to share life together.

Investments with eternal returns.
For the glory of God.
For the advancement of the cause of Jesus Christ.

- PNC

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