I recently finished The Education of a Value Investor by Guy Spier. Basically, Guy's father and some others gave him a few million dollars to manage and he did incredibly well, mimicking the value investing style of Warren Buffet and becoming very successful and wealthy along the way. I will occasionally ask my parents why they couldn't seed me with a few million dollars to help out my career. They don't have a few million, or even one, but a trust fund might have been a nice leg up.
Value investing isn't going to get anyone rich in the short-term. It's not sexy or exciting, and so much of what Spier talks about in his book is the ability to stay disciplined. He's focused on buying shares of strong companies that will grow over the long-term, and his willingness to stay focused even when the markets are freaking out is his key to long-term success. It's about discipline, which often flies out the window when you start losing money in the stock market.
Similarly, a life of discipleship requires discipline. Discipleship isn't about chasing short-term experiences, it's about building a life that consistently pursues Jesus over the long-term, putting practices into place that shape a life around following the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Discipleship isn't about chasing fads that change from one day to the next - it's about staying focused on the presence of Christ, in joyous and stressful times. It's about remembering that you are a child of God during mountaintop experiences and when you wander through the valley of the shadow of death. Discipleship isn't always easy or fun, but it's trusting that the long-term growth will lead to a deeper relationship with God.
The habits and patterns we have daily shape us into the type of person we will become. What kind of person do you want to be, and are you intentionally shaping yourself, or are you simply drifting forward, letting events around you shape the kind of person you will be five or ten years down the road? You have a choice.
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