It has been my great privilege to serve our Lord Jesus Christ as Speaker/Director of White Horse Media for 20+ years. At times, our bank account (from which our small staff receive modest salaries) has dropped quite low. But God has been faithful to us, even in tough times. During dark days, I have learned to trust His promises, such as: “Those who honor Me, I will honor” (1 Samuel 2:30), and “Fear not, I will help you” (Isaiah 41:13).
One major way God helps our ministry is through the generous contributions of our supporters. Some donations are small (such as $10 a month), while others are much larger. We give God the glory for every donation. “Many streams make a river,” is a true saying.
Many of our large supporters are investors. Some time ago our office received a letter stating that upon the death of both spouses, White Horse Media will receive 1/6 of their long-held Charles Schwab investment account which, at the time, was worth over 2 million dollars.
That’s over $300,000, I realized.
Another $50,000 gift came from another supporter’s investment account. Another woman gave us a $5,000 from her annual dividends. Still another couple sent us three gold coins, which we quickly cashed for about $12,000. This couple bought many gold coins years ago at a low price, and now they were worth a lot more than they paid.
There is nothing wrong with growing an investment account—even in these end-times—as long as it is done wisely for the purpose of honoring God, meeting legitimate needs, helping others, and advancing the Lord’s work.
Jesus told a parable about “a certain nobleman” who travelled to a far country after committing funds to His servants. Eventually, He returned. “Your money has grown 10x,” said His first servant. The nobleman was quite pleased. “Your money has grown 5x,” stated His second servant. Again, the nobleman was very pleased. But the third servant buried His Lord’s money, making nothing.
It didn’t go well with him.
While the application of this parable doesn’t apply solely to money, it’s hard to build a case that it has no connection with financial responsibility. Especially since Ellen White wrote:
It is the love of money that the word of God denounces as the root of all evil. Money itself is the gift of God to men, to be used with fidelity in his service. God blessed Abraham, and made him rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. And the Bible states, as an evidence of divine favor, that God gave David, Solomon, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, very much riches and honor.[1]
Thus wealth can be “an evidence of divine favor.” This doesn’t mean that anyone poor is cursed, while those who are rich are blessed. But it does mean that there is nothing inherently wrong with growing our means, as long as it is done honestly with God’s blessing. After all, Moses even wrote,
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.—Deuteronomy 8:18
Proverbs 31:10-31 highlights the many character qualities of a godly woman. In this passage, surprisingly, this woman is also a real estate investor.
She considers a field and buys it; From her profits she plants a vineyard.—Proverbs 31:16
First, “she considers a field” with due diligence. Is this land worth purchasing? Am I getting a fair price? Does this property have potential? After being satisfied, she “buys it.” Then “from her profits … she plants a vineyard.” Thus this godly woman is also an astute business woman. As her grapes grow, she might sell some grape juice to increase her profits, some of which she then uses to help “the poor” and “the needy” (vs. 20). Similarly, Ellen White advised her nephew,
You have needlessly expended much means which now might be on interest, and you be having some returns … You might have had, even from your limited wages, means in reserve for any demand. It might have been invested in a lot of land which would be increasing in value.[2]
In this case, she recommended her nephew take a portion of his means to be “invested in a lot of land which would be increasing in value,” which parallels the wise activity of the godly woman in Proverbs 31.
Before a person considers investing, they should first develop an income stream, eliminate bad debt (especially credit card debt), build up an Emergency Fund, and of course, be faithful in returning tithes and giving offerings. After that, relying on God and His promises, they should pray and seek His direction to properly grow their means.
Here are 10 wise investing principles to consider.
1. It starts with your mind. “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). If you think Investing itself is sinful, or if you think it's impossible to significantly improve your financial situation, it won't happen. “If you aim for nothing, you'll hit it,” is a wise saying. Thus the first step is to learn to think differently. “With God, nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37).
2. Educate yourself first. “Before investing your money, invest your time to learn what you are doing,” stated Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad Poor Dad. In other words, we must do our due diligence before investing in anything, just like the woman in Proverbs 31. Many options exist, such as investing in your own business, in real estate, in precious metals (remember that couple who gave White Horse Media three gold coins), or purchasing shares in other good businesses like the SDA couple mentioned earlier whose long-term investment account grew to over 2 million dollars. Thus financial education is vital—which is why I created my online finance course at GrowYourMoneyWithGod.com.
3. Learn from the wise, not from fools. “He who walks with the wise grows wise, But a companion of fools will be destroyed” (Proverbs 13:20). In my spiritual journey, my friendships, and even in my investing journey, I have determined to learn from the wisest people I can find. Of course the wisest “Wonderful Counselor” is Jesus Christ. If we “acknowledge Him” in “all” our ways, “He shall direct [our] paths” (Proverbs 3:6).
4. Think big, start small. This makes investing much more doable. “Rome wasn't built in a day,” I often told my children when they were growing up. “The journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step,” is another wise saying.
5. Not “stocks” but “shares.” Many fear the stock market because it can be such a dangerous place where people lose their money. This is true. It can be perilous. Those who focus on buying and selling lots of stocks can lose much more than their shirts. But there is a wise way to do this that isn't gambling, speculative, or foolish. It’s called investing. In this arena, I've learned a lot from Warren Buffett. While I don't look to him as a spiritual guide, he’s a world-renowned investing expert. His strategy is simple. Don't view stocks as merely stocks, but as fractional ownership of real businesses. Pick a business you like, understand, and have researched. Avoid trying to endlessly “time the market.” Instead, purchase shares at fair prices (or better yet—at discounted prices), view yourself as a shareholder, and hold your shares for the long haul, potentially for the rest of your life. I like this strategy. It makes my investing journey much easier.
6. Pick your platform. If you choose to purchase shares in strong businesses, you must pick an investing platform to do it. Many options exist, like Vanguard, Charles Schwab, Fidelity, and others. Personally, I like M1 Finance where I have set up a custodial account for my 18-year-old daughter, a Roth IRA for my 22-year-old son, another Roth IRA for my wife, a Roth IRA for myself, plus our Emergency Fund—which gives us a much higher interest rate than my local bank.
7. Diversify. “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket,” is a wise saying. In my family’s accounts, we own shares in some individual businesses (like Amazon, Tesla, Nvidia, and SpaceX), and some shares in broad-based ETFs like VOO (a Vanguard Index ETF mirroring the S&P 500), or QQQ (holding the top 100 U.S. technology companies). Our family also owns some real estate, and some sliver coins. Note: None of these are recommendations. This is just what my family is doing.
8. Never panic sell. If the market drops, or crashes, don't panic. Market fluctuations are quite normal. “The U.S. stock market is the only store in America where shoppers rush to the exits when everything is on sale,” commented Warren Buffett. Instead of panic selling, Buffett favors keeping some cash on the side and buying more. In the long run, “Buy-Hold” and “Buy the Dips” strategies are much wiser and safer. Another tip: Don’t invest money you need any time soon, which makes it much easier to “Hold,” rather than panic “Sell,” when markets dive.
9. Develop patience. Have you heard the saying, "Patience is a virtue?” From an investing standpoint, patience is also a profitable virtue. Don't expect to get rich quick. “Wealth doesn't come by entering an elevator. You have to take the stairs,” is another wise saying. “Patience” is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Being patient is also critical to becoming a wise investor.
10. Put everything on God’s altar. If we stay close to Jesus, and look to Him daily for wisdom, He will impress us when to buy, what to buy, and when to sell. Personally, when I see the mark of the beast developing on a national level (being debated in Congress), this will be my signal to sell and put my money (which is God’s money) into God's work.
If these ten principles appeal to you, you can learn more practical details at GrowYourMoneyWithGod.com.
To be clear, to invest or not to invest, isn't a salvation issue. We're not saved by investing, but the blood of the Lamb. But becoming a wise investor can definitely improve our lives in this fallen, increasingly expensive world. As I see it, it can be part of good stewardship. But of course, we must each be “fully persuaded” (Romans 14:5) in our own minds.
I view my investment accounts as similar to backing up important files on my computer. Similarly, if our Savior doesn't return as soon as I hope, I want to have a financial back-up plan so I can provide for my family, plus have more money to give to God's work. For me, it’s part of following Christ’s practical counsel, “Occupy [do business] until I come” (Luke 19:13).
“Money is a defense” (Ecclesiastes 7:12), wrote King Solomon. While “Wisdom [not money] is the principle thing” (Proverbs 4:17), for me, having an Emergency Fund and some good long-term investments has become a “defense” which lessens daily stress. It’s comforting to know that if something unexpected happens—like needing another car or new roof—I have a financial cushion to meet those emergencies.
One more thing: Investing in people and in saving souls is by far the best investment. This is truly laying up treasure in heaven.
May God help us to find the balance, to put Jesus Christ first, become good stewards, live wisely, honor God, and help others. If we do, someday we shall hear our Savior’s blessed voice saying, “Well done good and faithful servant … enter into the joy of your Lord” (Matthew 25:23).
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Steve Wohlberg is the Speaker/Director of White Horse Media. His Bible-based, get-out-of-bad-debt, tithe-first online finance course found at GrowYourMoneyWithGod.com explains practical details about investing for godly purposes. He has authored many books, including Be Wise With Your Money in These End Times.
