Thanks to Mike Slaughter’s book “Momentum for Life” we have been exploring the D.R.I.V.E acronym.  Our first post dealt with D for Devotion.   People try to get momentum for life through many areas of ‘devotion’, but for a follower of Jesus, the words of St. Paul “For me to live is Christ” express the language of devotion.

Then we saw that a devoted follower of Jesus has a continuous thirst for learning.  In fact, the word for disciple is mathetes, which means ‘pupil or learner’.

Momentum for life is also gained by investing ourselves significantly in others. When I was in my early 20s, I was challenged by my mentors that there are two things you can do with money—you either it invest it or spend it. The money you spend you never see it again, the money you invest wisely will most likely come back to you.  The same is true of life–the life you spend you will not see again, the life you invest well, you will see back again in the form of ‘more life’, but not so much quantitative in years, but more the joy of seeing people impacted by your investment in them.

Investing in others is a theme that runs throughout the Scriptures–Moses and Joshua, Mordecai and Esther, Elijah and Elisha, Jesus and the 12, Paul and Timothy, and many others.

In life we also see the power of investment. In the movie Mr. Holland’s Opus we have a story of a teacher who gives his life to students, and one day while packing up and closing shop on his class permanently he walks out into the halls and hears some music.  The following two clips from that movie provide much momentum for investing in others over the long haul.  As you watch this, ask yourself,

Who is that invisible line of people standing behind you? Teachers, coaches, scout leaders, church leaders, campus ministers, professors, or businesspeople?  Who has encouraged you, given you a break, or even supported you financially?  Whose investment in your life allows you to stand where you are standing today? Who stands behind you?

And who are you standing behind? Who are you parenting, mentoring, coaching, encouraging, managing, or leading? Who is receiving the intentional, strategic time in your schedule for relationship building?

The investment you are making in people today is the only one that will live beyond your lifetime, so invest wisely, reminding others to be faithful and finish well.

In this first scene, Mr. Holland hears ‘noise’ coming from auditorium, and he looks in. Check it out.

And then he gets to hear his ‘kids’ speak of his impact on their lives and how it has impacted them even into their adult years. This absolutely amazing and ‘life giving’.  Celebrate the theme of investing in others as you watch this.