“Christians live at the intersection of two big stories: a cultural story, which shapes so much of our life, and the biblical story, which we are to make our primary home.” – Craig Bartholomew

When it comes to investing, which story are you following? The world’s story of investing is simple: make as much money as you can while minimizing your risk. It doesn’t matter how the profits are generated, just that the profits are steady and hopefully increasing.

However, there is a better story of investing: God’s story. Before we dive into God’s story of investing, let’s briefly cover what we mean by “investing”.

Simple facts about investing:

• The primary reason companies exist is to make a profit by meeting a need through a product or service.
• The primary reason companies issue stock is to raise money to grow their business.
• Buying a stock makes you a part owner and entitles you to a share of the company profits.
• A mutual fund or exchange traded fund (ETF) is a basket of stocks from different companies. An investment company manages the fund. When you invest in a mutual fund or ETF your profits are generated by the companies held by the fund.
• People invest to grow their wealth by sharing in the success and profits of the company.

What if investing could be more than just generating returns? What if the act of investing itself, if done rightly, actually honors God and fits into our roles as stewards created in His image?

That’s our topic today: God’s story of investing!

In the Beginning

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) The very first sentence of the Bible tells us something important about God: He is a creator. God is shown to be a worker, and one whose work is orderly and good. His creative process culminates in His best creation: mankind, created in His own image!

Part of being God’s “image-bearers” means we are workers just like Him. In fact, Genesis clearly lays out that from the beginning God intended humans to steward and cultivate what he made.

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

So, God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so. (Genesis 1:26-30)

God created everything and then created people to rule over His creation. Genesis 2:15 tells us that “the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” So, God’s special task, a task linked to being an “image-bearer”, was to cultivate creation and to take care of it.

As Genesis 3 unfolds, however, Adam and Eve disobey God’s one command, bringing death and brokenness, not only on themselves but on God’s good creation. The work to cultivate creation now not only produces good fruit but also thistle and thorns. In addition to stewarding creation to bless mankind, sinful people can choose to exploit creation, exploit their fellow “image-bearers”, and perform work that dishonors God.

God’s audacious plan to rescue us through Jesus not only saves us from our own sin and restores our relationship with God, but ultimately restores all creation and our rightful role as good stewards. It’s encouraging to remember that God’s story of the world ends with a new heavens and earth and a magnificent city, the new Jerusalem, with the glorious tree of life at its center, bearing perpetual fruit.

Investing as Stewardship

Until, Christ’s return, Believers have the authority and privilege to bring God’s Kingdom to bear in their lives and work. Businesspeople are fulfilling their Adamic role of cultivating and keeping creation. Taking the resources and intellect that God richly provides and turning it into useful products and services for themselves and others.

Businesspeople running companies can reflect God’s image by creating goods and services that are, in fact, good. They can reflect God’s image by showing respect and care for their employees, communities, and the environment.

Businesses that help solve real problems, meet needs, provide vital jobs, and help people flourish are businesses that honor God. Businesses that exploit people, profit from sin, harm their customers, and mistreat their employees and the environment do not honor God.

“Good” investing plays a redemptive role when investment dollars are used wisely to build companies that provide “good” products and services and who have exemplary business practices. We are wise stewards when we invest God’s resources in ways that honor Him.

Whose story of investing will you choose?

In the world’s story, maximizing profit and minimizing risk are the only things that matters, the companies, goods and services themselves are irrelevant as long as steady profit is achieved.

In God’s story, in addition to seeking profit, investing is also a means of exercising our role as royal stewards. Taking God’s money and providing it to companies that are doing good work that honors Him. We call this faith-based investing.

Every investor is following a story about investing. As stewards, our work will be judged by our master when He returns (Matthew 22). May we be found faithful and hear the words “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

If you’d like to begin following God’s story of investing, we can help. Beacon Wealth Consultants helps individuals and families just like you to steward their finances wisely and to seek investments that honor God. It’s time to be part of God’s story, give us a call today!

Want to learn more about God’s Story of Investing? Check out the amazing courses from our friends at the Eventide Center for Faith & Investing!

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