Live Long and Prosper!

No, this isn’t a post about what is often termed the “Prosperity Gospel” by the TV preachers who think they need a new jet.  The title comes from the half-human, half-Vulcan character, Mr. Spock, of Star Trek fame.  The phrase, “Live long and prosper” was offered by Mr. Spock and other Vulcans to express good wishes and long life, rather than simply using the rather-mundane-by-comparison, “Good-bye” or “See you later”. 

While Mr. Spock didn’t necessarily intend the word “prosper” as a prayer for material gain for those departing, the word DOES conjure images of monetary increase for most of us.  With that in mind, I present this short financial exercise for our enlightenment:

Suppose you deposit $10,000 in a bank account earning 4% compounding interest (don’t you wish!) at age 20.  You leave the account untouched, allowing the interest to accumulate.  At age 30, you would have earned $4,918 in interest, plus your original deposit.  But what if you leave it for another 10 years?  From age 30 to 40, you’d add another $7,336 in interest.  Another decade, from 40 to 50 adds an additional $10, 945.  Wow.  One more 10-year term, from age 50 to 60 increases your total by $16,327, meaning the value of your original $10,000 deposit is now worth $49,526. 

What I hope you take away from the illustration is that the interest earned on the original investment increases dramatically over time.  You would have earned more than 3x the interest in the 4^th decade than in the first.  That’s the power of compounding interest.

So, what if we apply the same principle to our lives as Followers of Jesus?  Let’s say you give your life to Christ at age 20 and commit to following Him.  You serve faithfully, accomplishing what you can for a decade.  Then another. And another.  And finally, a fourth decade of service.  While you may believe you become increasingly LESS valuable to the kingdom as you age, I’d like to submit that your knowledge of the Word and your walk with Christ is like compounding interest.  Every year you serve Christ has the potential to yield an ever-increasing benefit to the Kingdom!  Because of your faithfulness, you become potentially more valuable for kingdom causes.

Can I support that idea in Scripture?  Let’s look at this familiar passage and perhaps see it with new eyes:

³ He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:

“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. ⁴ As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. ⁵ Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. ⁷ Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. ⁸ Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! ⁹ Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”  Matthew 13:3-9

There you have the often-preached “Parable of the Sower”.  We learn later in the chapter that the seed is the Word of God, and we’re reminded that not every seed will fall on fertile, prepared soil.  But when the seed DOES bear fruit, there can be a significant difference in crop yield – some 30x, some 60x, and some even 100x.  Did you ever wonder what makes the difference?  Have you ever been encouraged by your pastor to be a 100x believer?

Remember the illustration about compounding interest?  Remember that the longer the investment remains, the greater the return.  Isn’t it possible that the key to understanding the different yields in the Parable is based on LONGEVITY?  When we come to a saving knowledge of Christ’s sacrifice for us and yield our lives to Him, we begin to earn “interest”.  The longer we serve our Savior, the greater the return on our account.  So it pays (for the Kingdom) to have you serve well, serve faithfully, and serve as long as you can!

I know Spock didn’t have anything spiritual in mind when he spoke the title’s words in the TV show and subsequent movies.  But I do.  Live long and prosper.  Because God wants you to for His glory and His Kingdom.

Jacob