What does Jesus say about investing?
Matthew [25:14]-10
Verse Summary: What Ecclesiastes 11:2 Has to Say About Money
“Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.” In other words: Avoid risk, avoid disaster, by diversifying your income!
You may be surprised to learn that saving is actually encouraged in the Bible. The Bible teaches that it's possible to wisely save and invest for the future while also being “rich toward God” by “storing up treasures in heaven” (Luke 12:21; Matt. 6:19–21).
The Bible recognizes the element of risk inherent in responsible long-term savings and investment, and does not forbid it. Jesus uses standard financial investments as a key illustration of spiritual truth (Luke 19:11-26).
Alongside giving, the Bible also commends lending money as a form of generosity. The person-to-person lending commended in these passages is the closest thing we find in our Bible to stock investing.
The Bible issues several warnings against the love of money and the snare of wealth (1 Timothy 3:3; 6:10), but in Proverbs 30:8–9, Agur, the gather of wise sayings, asks that he would have neither poverty nor wealth.
Matthew 6:19-20: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
Investing from a Christian worldview can be a great way to use your money to glorify God and to make a difference in the world. By following these tips, you can make wise investment decisions that will help you grow your money and live out your faith.
Ecclesiastes 11 (GNB) - Bible Society. 1Invest your money in foreign trade, and one of these days you will make a profit. 2Put your investments in several places — many places, in fact — because you never know what kind of bad luck you are going to have in this world.
The book of Proverbs teaches us, "The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty." (Proverbs 21:5). This highlights the value of patience and a long-term investment horizon. Biblical principles encourage us to think beyond quick gains and focus on sustainable growth over time.
Is it biblical to build wealth?
God entered into a Covenant with Abraham and his descendants that he blessed them so they could bless others – locally and globally. But, one could say blessings are beyond words. To bless others is to create all kinds of wealth and in turn, share it. This is indeed a part of the Covenant.
Live on Less Than You Make and Save
That means living on less than you make—so you'll have money left over to save. The Bible talks about the importance of saving in Proverbs 21:20 (NIV84), which says, “In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.”
Proverbs 13:11-23 TPT
Wealth quickly gained is quickly wasted — easy come, easy go! But if you gradually gain wealth, you will watch it grow. When hope's dream seems to drag on and on, the delay can be depressing.
No value is ever created, whereas the overall wealth of an economy increases through investing. As companies compete, they increase productivity and develop products that improve lives. Investing and creating wealth should not be confused with gambling's zero-sum game.
Investing is the act of committing capital to an asset like a stock, with the expectation of generating income or profit. Gambling, on the other hand, is wagering money on an uncertain outcome, that statistically is likely to be negative. A gambler owns nothing, while an investor owns a share of the underlying company.
If you have debt, especially credit card debt, or really any other personal debt that has a higher interest rate. You should not invest, because you will get a better return by merely paying debt down due to the amount of interest that you're paying.
Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven."
Kahan cites Jesus' injunction against amassing material wealth as an example that the "good [Christian] life was one of poverty and charity, storing up treasures in heaven instead of earth." Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
He calls us to be good stewards of the resources He has entrusted to us, using them to bless others and advance His kingdom on Earth. This means that wealth should never be viewed as an end in itself but rather as a means to fulfill God's purposes and impact the lives of those around us.
The Bible makes it clear that people are generally expected to pay their debts. Leviticus 25:39. No one will or should advance any argument against this general proposition.
Is debt a sin Bible verse?
Psalm 37:21 says, “The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives.” So debt in itself is not sinful, but the motivations of taking on debt can be sinful. The Bible encourages us to be debt-free and to owe nothing to anyone except to love one another.
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.
The bottom line with the whole question of whether not Christians should save for retirement comes down to the fact that as stewards we have a responsibility to do the best with what we have been given. Saving with retirement accounts like 401ks or IRAs is a great way to multiply the talents that we have been given.
Money is put into risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost. In the end, there is nothing left to pass on to one's children.
Investing and gambling certainly both involve risk and choice—specifically, the risk of capital with hopes of future profit. But gambling is typically a short-lived activity, while equities investing can last a lifetime.
