by: Cassandra Laymon, CFP®, MBA on Responsible Investing

But don’t just listen to God’s word.

You must do what it says.

Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

-James 1:22

When I meet someone new and share what I do for work, and specifically about Biblically Responsible Investing (BRI), most Christians are surprised (“I didn’t know that was a thing!”) or delighted (“That’s such a great idea!) or confirming in some other way (“My financial advisor is a Christian, so I know he would never invest in those types of companies.”). I meet very few people who think Biblically Responsible Investing is a bad idea.

Why then, isn’t BRI taking the investing world by storm? It’s simple. There’s a big difference between knowing and doing – between knowing how God would have you invest your money, and actually taking the steps to implement it.

When we became Christians, we accepted the fact that there were some ways that our lives would be different than others.  Some of God’s commands are easier to follow, like not murdering or stealing. Commands that we would likely follow even if we weren’t Christians.

The area of money is much more challenging. Money is fraught with many temptations, specifically the temptation to believe that we earned it and, therefore, it belongs to us.  If we’re generous, we tithe 10% back to the church.  But when we truly understand that everything we’ve been blessed with belongs to God, it’s hard to accept our own excuses.

According to the Life Application Study Bible it’s easy to make excuses for wrong action, or in this case, inaction. Here are a few that apply to the topic of how we invest our money:

•       It’s the other person’s fault – my advisor chooses my investments, not me.
•       I couldn’t help it – I don’t know to implement BRI.
•       Everybody’s doing it – I’m just one investor and I can’t really make a difference.
•       Nobody’s perfect – every company owner is a sinner and therefore it doesn’t matter how I invest.
•       I was pressured into it – I have to do whatever my advisor says (he’s a friend or family).
•       I didn’t know it was wrong – I believe this excuse holds some merit, until you find out about BRI!

But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish,

like a person who builds a house on sand.-Matthew 7:26

Are you ready to move from knowing to doing?

If you’ve been on the fence about BRI for a while now, I invite you have a conversation with God about that.  If you really believe that is how God would have us invest our (really His!) money, what is holding you back? If you think you have some very good reasons for not looking at your investments more closely to find out what business practices you’re investing in, I invite you to have a conversation with us to learn more.  We’d love to talk through your challenges and roadblocks and help you be able to glorify God with your investments and responsible investing.

If you’d like to learn more about what business practices you are profiting from, click here to have your portfolio screened.

For more on Biblically Responsible Investing, click here.

Financial Planning & Investment Advisory services offered through Beacon Wealth Consultants, Inc.