What Does The Bible Say About Investing

What Does The Bible Say About Debt

There are over 2,300 instances where the Bible mentions money. It is evident that God cares about how we accumulate and use our money. It is also clear that money can consume us if we are not careful. As followers of Christ, it is important that we seek to honor him in all areas of life, and that includes honoring God with our money.

We know that we should spend our money wisely and that we are to give back to God what is ultimately his.

But what does the Bible say about debt?

Is it a sin to go into debt? Is it a sin to take out a loan?Why do Christians seem to hate debt? What if I currently have debt?

Lets check out some Bible verses about debt to start out.

The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.

Proverbs 22:26-27Do not be one who shakes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts if you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you.

Matthew 6:24 No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Psalm 37:21The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously

Bible Verses About Getting Good Counsel

Its important in life, and when you invest, to get good advice from others. Without it your plans are much more likely to fail.

Proverbs 15:22 Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.

Proverbs 19:2 Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge, and he who hurries his footsteps errs.

Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.

Proverbs 28:26 Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.

Proverbs 24:6 For by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory.

Seed Must Be Sown Into Good Ground

When you invest money wisely, it multiplies exponentially over time. This produces more seed that can be deployed for an even greater harvest in the future. Not all investments work out in your favor. But the better job you do at sowing your seed into good ground and tending to it well, your harvest will be much greater than your losses.

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Money Principle #: Do Not Be Greedy

And he said to them, Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.Luke 12:15

Its imperative that we dont misread Scripture and walk away with the idea that asceticism is the key to right Christian living. Greed and avarice are wrong, but having money isnt. Throughout the Bible, God financially blesses othersin fact, so much of Gods work relies on responsible and charitable people of means.

Its when we begin grasping at wealth and desire it above all that it poisons us.

Money Principle #1: Use Money Dont Worship It

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.1 Timothy 6:10

Youve inevitably heard this verse misquoted. Most of the time when you hear it, the person remembers it as, Money is a root of all evil. Obviously theres a huge difference between the two. Money is benign and innocuous . . . until you empower it with affection. Thats when it leads to all kinds of evil.

Dont think for a moment that only wealthy people are infected with the love of money. This affection occurs at every income level. There are many incredibly wealthy people whose lives are marked by charity and benevolence just like there are many people of insufficient means that are infatuated with money.

We all need to be attentive that we dont fall into the sin of loving money. The price is too costly.

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What Does God Want Us To Do With Money

What Does God Want Us To Do With Our Wealth? God wants us to: Acknowledge and praise Him for our wealth. Having money saved up, takes a lot of stress out of our lives, allows us to take better care of our families, allows us to take care of others, and frees us to more easily follow Gods plan for our lives.

Learn What The Bible Says About Bitcoin And How It Is Possibly Fulfilling Biblical Prophecy Most Importantly Discover What Our Focus Should Be As Christians As We Approach The Last Days

If you have been following the financial news today, it would be impossible to miss the term Bitcoin. No doubt, Bitcoins, and other cryptocurrencies could not be ignored anymore. Since its introduction on January 8, 2009, a single Bitcoin has soared to a staggering $20,000, leaving many people to wonder whether it will continue to rise or tumble down the hill. Its value can dramatically change in just a matter of weeks.

Im not here to talk about how you can invest in Bitcoins, but I want to talk about what the mainstream media failed to address. I want to talk about something thats more important than investing in Bitcoin. You wont be seeing the information from this blog from big news companies such as CNN, BBC, or Fox.

In this blog, let us take a look at how Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are fulfilling Bible prophecy. Is Bitcoin even mentioned in the Bible? If it is, then what does the Bible say about it? Most importantly, what should be our focus, as Christians, should be?

Recommended Reading: Do Unto Others Bible Verse

Bible Verses About Diversifying

None of us knows what will happen from one day to the next, in our lives and in the stock market. As a result we are best served by diversifying our holdings to protect ourselves.

James 4:13-15 Now listen, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money. Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, If it is the Lords will, we will live and do this or that.

Ecclesiastes 11:2 Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.

What We Can Learn From These Verses About Investing

Investing in the Bible is not just a reference to gaining wealth. It is also about becoming better people. The main themes we can learn from the above verses include:

• Investing is more than just a financial decision it is also a spiritual decision.
• Tithing is an investment in the Kingdom of God, and in our development as human beings.
• Investing can mean for financial gain, but should also be for the benefit of humanity.
• Giving to charity and the poor is an investment in the betterment of others and ourselves.
• How we use our talents is an investment in the future.
• Investments should be taken after long thought and discussion with those with experience.
• Wisely investing a little at a time will result in big returns.

Other Money Topics in the Bible

So much of the Bible discusses what to do with money and possessions. These are three other topics that I have covered:

• Scriptures on Stewardship

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Focus On Christ First The Rest Will Follow

With all the focus on money in our lives, its important to take a step back and remember where to keep the focus in the long run. Not on your money, but on God.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Our true wealth lies in Christ, and in putting our hope in Him. In first Timothy it talks about how we are to rely on Him, and how we are to be rich in good deeds and to be generous.

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. 1 Timothy 6:17-19

For me, this is why it pays to plan ahead for retirement. Not only so I can take care of myself and my family in the long run, but also so that I can give back to others and be generous and be a living example of Christs love.

Do you think the Bible has good things to say about planning ahead, saving and investing? What verses do you think we should add to the list?

What Does The Bible Have To Say About Investing

The content of this website often contains affiliate links and I may be compensated if you buy through those links . Learn more about how we make money. Last edited November 8, 2018

As a Christian personal finance blogger I know that people are searching for advice on what to do with their money, and a lot of them want to know what the Bible has to say about those financial topics.

I wrote an article a while back that brought together 120+ bible verses about money, and categorized them by topic, essentially trying to give a picture of how God wants us to view money.

Among the topics covered in those verses were wealth, contentment, giving, greed, debt, worry, and depending on Gods provision in our lives.

One topic that was covered briefly, but that Id like to cover in more depth in this post, is what the Bible talks about in regards to setting goals, saving and investing, and managing risk.

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• Focus On Christ First, The Rest Will Follow

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How To Not Let Debt Rule You

The point to all of this is that debt isnt necessarily evil. The issue is that those who have a debt problem have one because they let emotions control their financial decisions.

There are those who will work multiple jobs in order to pay for the house and/or for the car they dont have time to enjoy. Those who are financially healthy think differently, they evaluate the numbers first, check their emotions second, and then make a wise decision.

Financially Healthy Decision Making

The Bible commends being shrewd when it comes to making financial decisions. We see this in Luke 16 in the Parable of the Shrewd Manager. Money is a tool, and we need to use it wisely. There is nothing wrong with intelligent leveraging.

First Be Faithful With A Few

Luke 16:10-11- Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.

If your desire is to build massive wealth, then you first need to be trustworthy and disciplined with what you already have. You will never become wealthy if youre living paycheck to paycheck and spending more than you make. You must be the master of your money before the Master will trust you with more.

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The Government Vs Bitcoin

With the golden glitters of Bitcoin shining brightly in the eyes of people, the same light blinds many people about the SCARY TRUTH. For the past years, the governments of this world just patiently wait and watch what Bitcoin may mean for this worlds economy. There are a good indication and evidence that governments, tax authorities, regulators, and global elites are now looking into the possibility of using Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies or at least duplicate bitcoins system to advance their own interest.

Thus, in the near future, we are going to see how governments and authorities will try to take more control of digital currencies. Governments recognize how difficult it is to stop or eliminate cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. So, instead of destroying Bitcoin, they might be going to use it for their own good. As they say, If you cant beat them, join them. Theres no way for any government to let a financial system that is so good to escape their control.

If An Investment Sounds Too Good To Be True It Probably Is

Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

This biblical investing principle reveals that anytime someone tries to sell you an investment that promises incredible returns, you should seriously beware. Its easy to get greedy if youre not careful. Greed will not only mess with you spiritually, it will cause you financial harm as well.

Huge returns never come without a ton of risk. And where there is high risk, youre extremely likely to lose your money.

Get rich quick schemes sound really great on the surface. But when you dig deeper, they are usually promoted by people who are less than honest, whether they realize it or not. Just because someone promises massive returns and they back it up with testimonials from others doesnt mean you will have the same experience.

Always do your research to find out:

• Every detail of how the investment works.
• How does the investment generate a return on your money?
• Are there any complaints about the people/company selling the investment?
• How many people have made money with it?
• How many people have lost money?
• Do you understand it?

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Things The Bible Says About Debt

1. Make Well Informed Decisions

Where does the Bible mention making well-informed decisions about debt? Well, it doesnt explicitly say that, however, there are numerous occasions where the Bible tells us to be wise and shrewd. We can apply these teachings to any area of life and that includes instances when it comes to debt.

Not only that, but we are also in all areas of our life, including how we manage our money. Avoiding debt is a great way to practice excellence when it comes to money management.

2. Debt is a Form of Slavery to be Avoided

Every cent you owe to a lender, plus interest, handicaps both your ability to survive now and your ability to save for the future. Debt keeps us enslaved. This is probably the most evident truth about debt written throughout the Bible.

3. Do Not Neglect Your Debt

Okay, so you have some debt. Do not ignore your debt. Work diligently to get rid of it. The faster you can pay it off the sooner you will be free and the more money you can save in the long run! The Bible tells us to pay back what we owe. So do not forget about those debts.

4. Pay Your Debt In Order to Achieve Financial Independence

How Do I Commit My Plans To The Lord

Biblical Translations of Proverbs 16:3

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed. Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.

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What Is The Purpose Of Christian Faith

We know that Jesus talked about money, and that this included investment matters and that he speaks in a way which shows the legitimate, even honorable nature of the investment calling. We know that he points out some of the pitfalls and problems with investments, for example the problems that come from entrusting assets to unfaithful stewards. Jesus’ references to Mammon, though a small proportion money mentions, show that wealth can become an idol.

But the question remains: what is investment for? What is its purpose? Of course, Christians know that all human callings, and human life itself is for the purpose of glorifying God. But not all human relationships serve and glorify God in exactly the same way. Marriage serves God’s purpose by providing companionship and children and to mirror the relationship between Christ and the Church . Is marriage there to make a profit? To till the ground? To serve communion? To wage war? No, there are other institutions formed to do those things. Marriages can provide companionship to the people performing these tasks. It can bring new children into the world to fulfill them. But marriage per se is not there to do these things.

So, what is the purpose of finance?

Its purpose, according to Jesus, is to provide a return.

I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.

The Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard illustrates the same point:

Money Principle #: Be Vigilant Over Your Resources

Know well the condition of your flocks,

and give attention to your herdsProverbs 27:23

If you were an Israelite when Proverbs was written, its likely that your flocks would be a sign of your wealth. A wise owner would hire good and thoughtful shepherds who would watch over and care for their livestock. It was important for every one of them to be accounted for and protected.

In the same way, a wise person is going to give thoughtful care to their finances and portfolios. So much is lost from want of diligent attention.

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