Living Your Faith
“We're not for everybody. We give investors the ability to be obedient with the stewardship of their investment dollars the Lord has entrusted to them. Those that are pro-life, choose Biblically Responsible Investing because they don't want to own companies that violate their convictions.” – Stephen Ally
Genesis 1 through 3 tells us that God created all things, including men and women, for his own glory, and that human beings have the honor of being at the very top of his creative order. This means human beings, while inherently sinful, are infinitely valuable, and should be treated with dignity, respect and compassion.
Since the beginning, God has given humanity the great gift of dominance over all living things, but also a responsibility to be good stewards of His creation. Therefore, we owe it to our Maker to use our money wisely. We should do nothing to hinder His Kingdom and instead advance it. We should not invest in ventures that promote or traffic in sin and thus are destructive to people.
Good stewardship begins with acknowledgement of "Who" really calls the shots.
"I believe the most dangerous misconception is the idea our money and possessions belong to us, not God," says Randy Alcorn, author and founder of Eternal Perspective Ministries. "Many of our problems begin when we forget that God is the Boss of the universe. But in fact He is more than the boss; He is the owner. (Christ-Centered Stewardship in a Consumer-Driven Culture: An Interview about Money and Giving, Eternal Perspective Ministries)
God wants us to use our strength, talents and investments wisely in the service of his kingdom. The sum total of wisdom throughout the Bible should lead us to reject the two opposite theological errors when it comes to money: the "prosperity gospel" and the "poverty gospel."
The first, which also goes by the "health and wealth gospel," teaches that God rewards faith—and heavy tithing—with financial and health blessings. The implication is that if we struggle financially, it is a sign of weak faith. It's the modern equivalent of throwing a non-swimmer into a pond and labeling her a "witch" when she drowns. The second, the poverty gospel, reflects an extremely unbiblical disdain for money that often reflects a common misreading of Paul's warning about the love of money.
Money, like other material things, is good because God made it. Money allows us to take care of ourselves, our families, and our neighbors who have legitimate needs. Jesus said that it is more blessed to give than to receive. We have to have resources to give, which brings us back to John Wesley's admonition to "gain all you can, save all you can and give all you can."
Biblically Responsible Investing allows us to be good stewards of our finances so we can invest without supporting moral corruption. We have true peace of mind when we lean, for all of our needs on the One Who made us: