The Single Best Reason for Investing Your Money

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know two things:

1. My goal is to encourage your walk with Christ.
2. You should not come to me for financial advice.

So why, then, am I writing about financial investments? I’m glad you asked.

1. The Bible talks about it.

The Book of Proverbs is full of more nuggets of truth about our finances than Jim Cramer, the weird dude on CNBC, has stock advice. (And, Jim, if you’re reading this, I’m sure I mean weird is the nicest way possible.) The Book of Ecclesiastes, in its wonderfully poetic form, offers this:

¹ Ship your grain across the sea;
after many days you may receive a return.
² Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight;
you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.

³ If clouds are full of water,
they pour rain on the earth.
Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,
in the place where it falls, there it will lie.
⁴ Whoever watches the wind will not plant;
whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.

⁵ As you do not know the path of the wind,
or how the body is formed^[a] in a mother’s womb,
so you cannot understand the work of God,
the Maker of all things.

⁶ Sow your seed in the morning,
and at evening let your hands not be idle,
for you do not know which will succeed,
whether this or that,
or whether both will do equally well (Ecc. 11:1-6).

Let me restate that in a very non-poetic way:

• Don’t put all your financial eggs in one basket (vv. 1-2). Diversify your investments.
• Misfortune may arise but keep working (vv. 3-4). Bad things happen and we experience unforeseen circumstances and problems. We should not use that possibility as an excuse for doing nothing. In other words, some people will not do anything with their finances and assets until they are absolutely certain it is safe. We have no guarantees, so it’s good to go ahead and act—provided we do so with wisdom.
• Life is uncertain, so leave it all in God’s hands (vv. 5-6). Because the circumstances of life can be uncertain, it is wise to be diligent in our work and diversify our assets. We are to act, but undergirding our action is an ultimate trust in God.

2. Use your investments for the kingdom of God.

This life is over before we know it, so let’s not spend all our money on ourselves. Or on widgets and do-dads that will end up in next year’s garage sale. Investing in the lives of others—using your money to meet needs and minister—is an eternal investment.

I’m not an advocate for the prosperity gospel or these pseudo-preachers who want you to think God’s one goal in life is to bless your socks off and flood your life with money so that every time He blesses your socks off, you can purchase another pair of $1,188 socks. But if God has blessed you financially, great—but use that blessing to be a blessing to others.

“This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else” (2 Cor. 9:12-13).

Invest in God’s kingdom. Make a difference. 

This post supports the study “Invest Money Wisely” in Bible Studies for Life.

A printable version is available to share with others: The Single Best Reason for Investing Your Money