I once came across a video explaining why some people are rich and the rest are not. The gist of the video is that when the rich spend, their frame of mind is, “what is the Return of my Investment (ROI)?”

Hence,

• If a flashy car will not give a good ROI, what is the point of buying?
• If a house will be so expensive to maintain, then why not move to a smaller house?
• Why buy expensive designer clothes when you can look classy even in Divisoria clothes?

It is all about the ROI.

In the Gospel, Jesus gives a parable of servants being given gold coins and the master expects a Return on his Investment. How does the Gospel apply to us? We are all given blessings by God. How do we give him a Return of his Investment? Three ways:

1. Use the blessings. If one is given the talent of singing, then hone that talent and become the best singer. If one is good in math, find a course wherein math will be put into use. If one is meant to be a doctor, by all means be the best doctor ever. Each person has his or her own blessings and there is no point in comparing one’s blessing with the other.
2. Trust in God. We all know that investing is easier said than done. We will all have bad days, disappointments, failures, betrayals, and challenges. Just look at the lives of even the most successful people; they will attest that it is not easy. The temptation to do nothing is great, but if God has a plan, trust him because with God nothing is impossible.
3. Bless other People’s Lives. We came into the world with nothing and we are leaving the world with nothing. Hopefully, when we leave this world, we have left it a better place. The sad reality though, is that instead of blessing others, we have lost our moral compass. People end up taking advantage of others, especially the poor, the weak, and the vulnerable. 

My dear friends we pray that we may be rich not in the eyes of the world, as whatever was accumulated will just be left behind. Instead when we come face to face with God, may we be able to give him the best Return of Investment: Using the Blessings, Trusting God, and Touching Other People’s Lives.