The First United Bank of Glory

“The solemn day will dawn when it will be too late to plow and to sow, too late to repent and believe. In harvest, it is useless to lament that the seedtime was neglected.” – C.H. Spurgeon

Every six months, I receive a notice from the Social Security Administration letting me know what my benefits will be if I start drawing them now… or at my full retirement age of 66 years and 10 months… or if I wait until I’m 70. Deanna and I also have a couple of small annuities that my son, a fiduciary, set up for us several years ago. Although I lack a pension or a lot of savings after 35 years of prison ministry, we should be able to maintain a very modest lifestyle by combining these various accounts if and when the time comes.

Although I am not a proponent of big government and I think that individuals should be allowed to invest a portion of their Social Security payments in blue chip stocks (which historically pay much more than the 2% interest Uncle Sam gives you), it is reassuring to know that my four decades in the workplace will eventually pay some modest dividends. Of course, ministers never really retire, so I expect to be working in the Lord’s vineyard until He calls me home (see Matthew 9:37-38).

That being said, the principle of working hard while you are young and virile – and putting aside a portion of your earnings for a rainy day and/or retirement – still applies. Unfortunately, surveys continue to show that most Americans live paycheck to paycheck no matter how much money they make because, as their income increases, so does their standard of living. Sadly, “wants” are perceived as “needs”, which results in maxed-out credit cards and lots of financial stress.

Meanwhile, although Scripture teaches us to store up our treasures in heaven instead of here on earth, very few people make regular deposits in the First United Bank of Glory. “I’ll start serving the Lord after I get married, or my career gets established, or our kids are done college, or we pay off our mortgage,” they rationalize. Tragically, by focusing on the temporal rather than the eternal, they forgo heavenly blessings that can be enjoyed forever in favor of “things” that rust and rot.

My friend, please don’t fall into that trap, financially or spiritually. Deanna and I made a conscious decision last year to start living below our means so that when giving to Risk Takers is down and I don’t receive my paycheck on time, we don’t have to panic. We are also trying to be even more generous with our tithing, so that we don’t arrive in heaven empty-handed.

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21 (NKJV)

- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President