Invest Money According to the Bible
The Bible offers us direction in almost every facet of life, from raising children to treating other people with dignity. But what if the Bible also taught us a code for investing our money safely and ethically? What if those teachings had helped thousands of people amass wealth in a way that Jesus would respect? The truth is that you can invest money according to God's will as is written in the bible. And you can succeed doing so.
Contents
Steps
- Recognize God's will.
- Recognize that God wants to make you rich (3 John 2, Proverbs 10:22).
- Recognize that Jesus died to make you rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).
- Recognize that God will supply your needs (Philippians 4:19).
- Recognize that the number one way to prosperity is that God will lead you so that you must follow your conscience (Proverbs 4:23, Romans 8:14-17, Deuteronomy 28:1-2, Genesis 12:4 and Genesis 13:2). You have fantastic talents and abilities, and God can show you exactly what you must do. You might be laid off but get a raise in your new job. On these occasions God's Spirit gives a witness in your spirit on what career to pursue -- and you can prosper by following your conscience (and leadership of the Holy Spirit). In the times that you have such a witness, get alone and pray seriously each day, for several days before, to be sure that God was witnessing to your conscience. Notice that Abraham obeyed the leading of God in Genesis 12:4. Proverbs 4:23, "Above all things keep your heart [listen to the "small still voice" within you] for out of it are the issues of life." Read Galatians 3:13-14 and Romans 8:16-17.
- Be a specialist in your career: Manage the money you make and learn the investment cycles. Now for the three types of money in the Bible and the three secrets to prosperity: after Abraham followed God (Genesis 12:4), God prospered Abraham in Genesis 13:2 with cattle (his career), silver (the money he made) and gold (investments).
- The cattle represents your career and notice that this comes first in The Bible. The secret to your career is to become a specialist. Proverbs 13:15 says that "good understanding gives favor". You must get your college degree and stick with the same career to become a specialist. Proverbs 12:8 says that a man shall be commended for his prudence, not for his hard work. You must learn to "work smarter, not just harder." Notice that in Proverbs 24:27, God wants you to establish your career before you get married. 54% of the divorce in America is over lack of money. Deuteronomy 8:18, "But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today."
- The silver represents managing the money you make and the Bible secret is to live on a budget. Proverbs 21:17 says that "he who loves pleasure will be poor". You must balance your bills with your income. Also use credit wisely because proverbs 22:7 says that "the borrower is slave to the lender".
- Next is the gold and this represents an investment. The Bible has a lot to say about investment cycles. Forty years in the Bible is considered to be a generation. Every 40 years a terrible recession hits America and home prices collapse as in the 1890s, 1930s, 1970s and 2010s. These collapses are all caused by the government lowering interest rates, causing cheap money, easy loans and a housing bubble. We see this in Genesis 41 where Joseph told Pharaoh that they would have 7 lean years. The 7 lean years, called the "winter recession" in the Bible, happens every 40 years in America. There is another type of recession in the Bible, such as when the government is aggressively lowering interest rates, or recessions that are mild like the "aerospace recession" and the "dot com bubble". Once again there are other influences in the Bible -- for Elijah prayed, and it did not rain for 3.5 years.
- Associate with people that inspire you and teach you to prosper (Proverbs 13:20). It is important to note that Lot who traveled with Abraham also prospered in his career due to the law of association. Lot did not manage the money he made; all of his workers were drunk and fought with Abraham's men, and the two had to go different paths. Lot lost everything in Genesis 19 because Lot did not learn to follow his conscience, be a specialist, manage the money he made nor learn investment cycles. This goes to show that you can be blessed by the law of association but unless one matures spiritually, one will always be driven with circumstances (Abraham ignored circumstances Romans 4:19).
- Major verses that show economic and housing cycles in the Bible are Genesis 41, Proverbs 22:2-3, Ecclesiastes 3:2,6 and the Early Church that sold their homes before a huge recession under Claudius Caesar.
- Proverbs 22:2-3,
"Rich and poor have this in common:
The Lord is the Maker of them all.
The prudent see danger and take refuge,
but the simple keep going and pay the penalty". - Ecclesiastes 3:1,3,6,
"There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away". - Besides the economic cycles, the Bible also talks about housing as being the inheritance of fathers in Proverbs 19:14. One could apply the 7 years up and 7 years down economic cycle in Genesis 41 to real estate (8 is completion) and find out that real estate was 8 years up from 82 to 90, 8 years depressed from 90 to 98 and 8 years up from 98 to 2006. Bingo, when foreclosures rose in 2006 one might have sold a home at the top and have been waiting until approximately (2006+8=2014) to get back in.
- By the way in 2014, the last of the foreclosed homes that wouldn't sell may be almost given away by the banks with $1,000 down. At the end of the last cycle in 1997-98, that is what the banks did to get rid of the homes that wouldn't sell.
- Another suggestion, when at the 40 year recession, the real estate depression tends to last another 2 years so be sure to buy a home before 2016 (2006 + 8 + 2 = 2016). From 2016 onward, home prices may soar.
- 2010-2019 might be an entire decade of recession, this happens every 40 years. Real estate might be depressed the first half of the decade 2010-2015, but Soar the second half. The reason that the economy will struggle even after the construction recovers is that the government will raise interest rates (to slow the inflation in housing prices), but airlines, auto manufacturers and retail will be struggling with higher interest/and debt payments. That would be if it is a repeat of the 1970s (remember major cycle are generational change conjectured to be 40 years: 1850s, 1890s, 1930s, 1970s, 2010s, and the 2050's).
- Proverbs 22:2-3,
- Review: The three types of money in Abraham's life was the cattle, the silver and the gold. They represent your career, managing the money you make including investments. The ideals are to become a specialist in your career, live on a budget (plan) and learn the cycle of an investment before you buy it.
Tips
- As prices begin going up, jumping, you could take the advice of the Bible in Ecclesiastes 3 that speaks of a time to hold. The time to hold is when banks do not own foreclosures, this is the time that demand is greater than supply and prices will soar, so hold on and don't sell before prices rise significantly.
- If you are not able to buy a home in the last part of 2011 or early 2012 (because Banks are being so conservative in lending), at the end of the cycle in 2014 and 2015 the banks may almost give away the last of the foreclosures (thousands of small houses, or ones on bad street locations, or beat up houses) with $1,000 down.
- 2011 has a huge wave of alt-a and option adjustable rate loans adjusting higher so the end of 2011 and the first quarter or 2012 should be a low in real estate prices and interest rates. So consider buying real estate before March 2012.
- The interest on 15 year loans are usually cheaper than 30 year loans.
Warnings
- Major setbacks in the investment cycles are:
- Opening a business when unemployment is rising, or
- Buying a home when foreclosures are rising. The Bible says in Hebrews 12:1 to "Run with patience" and Ecclesiastes 3:1 that "there is a time for everything".
- Beware of false prophets that tell you, "The Economy is not your source, your job is not your source, your boss is not your source and your education is not your source--so mail all your money to me, and God will take care of you."
- Beware of following your emotions and not your conscience. Paul always followed his conscience (Acts 23:1) and so did Jesus (Mark 2:8). People that follow their emotions will be poor (Proverbs 22:17). If you follow your emotions you will get elated at a market top and buy, then get depressed at a market bottom and sell. Emotions, thus, cause you to buy high and sell low. We need to walk by faith and not by emotion (2 Corinthians 5:7).
- Beware of buying a property that is 100% vacant because the city may have or still may site the owners of these properties.
- Get a fixed loan. Since we expect interest rates to jump in the future real estate boom.
- Major setbacks in the career for a young, single person are:
- Dropping out of high school or college. You are much better off sticking with college and doing a work-study program. If you need more money, go to a state college, and take out a small student loan.
- Having a baby, getting married young or working a full-time job, ie: without allowing time to get trained/educated. The Bible says in Proverbs 24:27 to establish your career first, then get married. 54% of the divorce in America is over lack of money, not unfaithfulness.
- Major setbacks for married people tend to be a
- Divorce without getting God's leading, or
- Changing careers too often. Stick with the same growth, career area and become a specialist in that area.
- Being a generalist (mastering nothing) does not pay well, being a specialist often pays very well.
- Changing jobs causes lack of seniority, so that during a recession then you get laid off for -- or not paying attention (respect) to the boss and getting laid off.
