{"id":608,"date":"2017-01-01T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-01-01T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hanoverbaptistchurch.org\/blogpastor\/?p=608"},"modified":"2016-12-31T22:07:51","modified_gmt":"2017-01-01T03:07:51","slug":"what-does-the-bible-say-about-finances-and-investing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hanoverbaptistchurch.org\/blogpastor\/2017\/what-does-the-bible-say-about-finances-and-investing\/","title":{"rendered":"What does the Bible say about finances and investing?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cAnd you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.\u201d Deuteronomy\u00a08:18<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

One of the most misquoted verses in the Bible is 1\u00a0Timothy\u00a06:10, \u201cFor the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil\u2026.\u201d Most often we hear people say, \u201cMoney is the root of all evil.\u201d What a poor representation of the mind of the Lord! Greed and grasping is what is in focus, not a biblical view of the utility of money. Profit, private property, and money are the product of work. Ecclesiastes\u00a05:9 states, \u201cMoreover the profit of the land is for all; even the king is served from the field.\u201d Ecclesiastes\u00a05:18f says, \u201cHere is what I have seen: it is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage. As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor\u2014this is the gift of God.\u201d Ultimately, God owns all wealth (Leviticus\u00a025:23).<\/p>\n

I find it interesting that our Lord uses money as a teaching tool in at least one third of His parables. In fact, He actually praises the increase of money in His parable of the talents found in Matthew\u00a025. There is no disputing the fact that if our Lord believed that making a profit is sinful then He would never have used such an illustration. The key to determine the suitability of gaining a profit is the motivation (self-control), the means (capital), the method (ethics), and the mission (ultimate purpose) in the pursuit of profit.<\/p>\n

The Bible has much to say concerning self-control of motivation to make a profit. As our passage in 1\u00a0Timothy\u00a06 warned, \u201c\u2026the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil,\u201d therefore you must take precautions to guard against greed. In verse 9 Paul warned, \u201cBut those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.\u201d People have been murdered for less than five bucks. Whether a little or a lot, any amount of money can be misused. Proverbs\u00a022:4 states the cure for misplaced money priorities: \u201cBy humility and the fear of the LORD are riches and honor and life.\u201d In other words, the profit a man desires to make with his life must be secondary to the call to godliness for him. Profit must always be in submission to God\u2019s priorities. Keep your eyes on the Lord only, as our Lord illustrates in Matthew\u00a06:24: \u201cNo man can serve two masters.\u201d Jeremiah\u00a09:23f reads, \u201c\u2018Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me. That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,\u2019 says the LORD.\u201d<\/p>\n

Greed is in our sin-nature\u2019s DNA. Riches can get in the way of coming to Christ, as our Lord says in Mark\u00a010:23f, \u201cHard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!\u201d He also introduces His parable of the rich fool (Luke\u00a012:13ff) with these words: \u201cTake heed and beware of covetousness, for one\u2019s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.\u201d A worthy prayer for the serious saint is found in Proverbs\u00a030:8\u20139.<\/p>\n

Concerning the capital that you can put to work to make a profit, the Bible has some specific things to say. Proverbs\u00a022:7 encourages believers to avoid debt: \u201cThe rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.\u201d We should value freedom from debt so much that we are willing to give up a whole lot for it. Of course, you should pay off your debts (Psalm\u00a037:2; Proverbs\u00a022:26f). Studiously avoid any \u201copportunity\u201d that appears too good to be true. Proverbs\u00a013:11 reads, \u201cWealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, but he who gathers by labor will increase.\u201d Also Proverbs\u00a014:5 states, \u201cA faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness will utter lies.\u201d For capital, the bottom line is to save more, as Proverbs\u00a010:4 says: \u201cHe who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.\u201d<\/p>\n

Concerning the ethics of your method for wealth, it is imperative that you handle money God\u2019s way (Isaiah\u00a033:15). Pay your taxes (Romans\u00a013:7f), make a budget (Luke\u00a014:28ff) with good counsel (Proverbs\u00a015:22), set your financial priorities (Proverbs\u00a024:27), and develop a financial plan (Proverbs\u00a021:5). Because riches fly away (Proverbs\u00a023:4f) you should build an emergency fund (Genesis\u00a041:34ff) and be sure to diligently give to the Lord\u2019s work (Malachi\u00a03:10, Matthew\u00a06:33, 2\u00a0Corinthians\u00a08:8\u20139:15). Work hard at good, honest work (Ephesians 4:28; 2\u00a0Thessalonians\u00a03:11f). Never use money to attempt to buy spiritual position with God or man (Matthew\u00a06:3, 23:23f; Acts\u00a08:20f). Do not treat others unjustly in your pursuit of a profit (Proverbs\u00a020:10) and be a good boss (James\u00a05:4, Proverbs\u00a022:16). Money is a tool to be controlled, not to control you, for God will supply your needs (Philippians\u00a04:19). As you take care of His business, He will take care of yours.<\/p>\n

The Bible also gives general investment advice. Solomon gives some great pointers: Ecclesiastes\u00a05:10\u201320 stresses the fact that you must invest your life wisely. Ecclesiastes\u00a011 is rich with advice: diversify (verse\u00a06), don\u2019t attempt to time the market (verse\u00a04), reward is related to risk (verses\u00a01\u20136), keep your eye on the long term rather than the immediate (verses\u00a01f), and seek to reduce risk as you age (verses\u00a013f). Be extremely careful in loaning money (Proverbs\u00a020:16, 27:13) for no one else will as carefully handle your money as you will (Proverbs\u00a022:26f).<\/p>\n

Concerning the ultimate purpose of your life\u2019s money mission, there are some critical touchpoints. Your real wealth is found in heaven (Matthew\u00a019:21), invest so you can give away (Luke\u00a06:38) for it is more blessed to give than receive (Acts\u00a020:35). Seek to leave an inheritance (Proverbs\u00a013:22). Seek to minister wisely to the needs of others (Proverbs\u00a028:27). Use every dollar as if it is a gift from God, for it is! Trust and obey.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cAnd you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.\u201d Deuteronomy\u00a08:18 One of the most misquoted verses in the Bible is 1\u00a0Timothy\u00a06:10, \u201cFor the love of money is a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hanoverbaptistchurch.org\/blogpastor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/608"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hanoverbaptistchurch.org\/blogpastor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hanoverbaptistchurch.org\/blogpastor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hanoverbaptistchurch.org\/blogpastor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hanoverbaptistchurch.org\/blogpastor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=608"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.hanoverbaptistchurch.org\/blogpastor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/608\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hanoverbaptistchurch.org\/blogpastor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=608"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hanoverbaptistchurch.org\/blogpastor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=608"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hanoverbaptistchurch.org\/blogpastor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=608"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}