Smart Investing

Lately I’ve been thinking about investing. As an English major I didn’t learn much about stocks, commodities, CDs, IRAs, money market accounts, annuities, mutual funds, bonds….

Now, my eyes are wide open to the financial industry. It’s risky waters, you have to know what you’re doing, but even a novice knows what the goal is: get the largest return on what you put in. As I come across financial information, my eyes go straight to the numbers—6.8%, 14%, 22.3%! That’s a pretty good percentage yield. How do I invest in that?

Imagine if there was a stock, bond, CD, mutual fund that guaranteed a 50% return on your money. Impossible, yes, but if there was, everyone would invest in it. What if there was one with a 100% return?

In this world, such returns would be unsustainable, but God’s economy is different. What is the return that He promises?

The parable of the talents shows two examples of a 100% return: five talents for five, two talents for two (Matthew 25). In the parable of the minas (Luke 19), there’s an even greater return: five for one (500% return), ten for one (1000% return!). In the parable of the sower (Mark 4), the seed that falls on good soil produces “thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times” the crop, that’s a 3,000%, 6,000%, or 10,000% return!

Something else to think about: investors will tell you, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” They diversify their financial portfolios for security’s sake. This is not God’s way. Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it” (Matthew 13). Purchasing the life that God has for you will mean no half measures, but staking all that you are and have upon Him.

How will you invest your life?

Jhana Lowe, Ezra Stiles ’94