June 24-Purposeful Living
Edited by Gary G. Hoag and Tim MacReady
What does your savings account say about your heart? by Nicholas Breach, Executive Director of Compass
“How much do you have in your savings account? What are you saving up for?” These questions asked by the Royal Australian Air Force officer sitting across the table shocked me.
Ever since I was a kid, my dream was to fly jets in the Royal Australian Air Force. I didn’t want to be just a pilot, I wanted to fly jets. This ambition emerged when I was 12 when I was invited into the cockpit of an Ansett F-28. The pilots told me to do a couple of lazy S- turns, with about 50 passengers on board! After that brief stint at the controls, I started to read everything I could about airplanes. My dad even had a friend who took me up in their Cessna. I took the controls for the first time and felt that sense of freedom and awe that comes from effortless movement in the lower atmosphere. I loved flying, but I had no idea that my love of flying would eventually teach me about God’s thoughts on saving.
Why do we save?
God gives us Scripture on savings to remind us of our role as stewards of God’s provision in the seasons of life. For example, from the ant we learn that storing up during a season of plenty is wise, preceding a season of want. Proverbs 6:6-8, “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.”
With investing, God’s command to diversify precedes a reminder that we don’t know what future calamity may come. We do this not for selfish reasons, as the bigger barn builder known as “the rich fool” learned. The wealth he stored up for himself was of no use to him when tragedy came unexpectedly. With these and other passages God reminds us to maintain a focus on the eternal, while remembering that our lives and the wealth entrusted to us are temporary. God invites us to save a portion, but not all, because he knows storing up everything that He gives us for ourselves results in an empty life and an even emptier death.
June 25-Purposeful Living
Edited by Gary G. Hoag and Tim MacReady
What does your savings account say about your heart? by Nicholas Breach, Executive Director of Compass
Where is your heart?
Returning to my dream of flying, I was minutes away from becoming a fighter pilot. There were no more steps, no more RAAF tests, exams or interviews. However, as I reflected on the officer’s questions, I realized that my answers would reveal whether or not I was dedicated to serving my country. He wanted to see if my heart was in it, and if I was committed to the sacrifices it would take.
“How much do you have in your savings account? What are you saving up for?” He asked. I told him that my savings were intended for a car for Uni. The officer then asked a final, fateful question. How much of my savings had I spent on the things that mattered to him, like flying lessons? To which, I replied. “Nothing.” My only flight instruction was free and lasted only a few minutes.
Reflecting on that conversation years later helped me comprehend why the officer handed me a rejection letter that day. My use of money showed him where my heart was. Because I had not used God’s gifts, including savings for things that mattered to the officer, he concluded my heart was not in becoming a fighter pilot. [Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”]
June 26-Purposeful Living
Edited by Gary G. Hoag and Tim MacReady
What does your savings account say about your heart? by Nicholas Breach, Executive Director of Compass
God owns everything and is our sole Provider. If we correctly grasp that God’s role is to provide and our role is to manage what He gives us, then we create in ourselves, in our actions, a sense of anticipatory dependency. We take the posture of a trusting child in relationship to our Father for the next good gift.
When our minds are occupied with thoughts of how to best use God’s gifts to advance His kingdom, our hearts naturally follow. If we are storing up treasure here on earth by considering our bank accounts as our source of power, respect, and salvation, our hearts will move surreptitiously away from God.
God has given us money to show us where our idols lie and to force us to make a decision on where we want our heart to go. Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
The very use of the thing that risks becoming our idol can instead be the chief indicator of our Christian faith.
God has given us a wonderful invitation to come to Him for guidance on saving and investing. The Lord has not been overly prescriptive, instead He has given us descriptive guidelines to make us curious, and bookends to warn us. We are to follow Jesus daily by denying ourselves, considering our old lives dead, and asking what He wants us to do today with the money and stuff He supplies. A heart focused on eternity, on building God’s kingdom won’t be misled into thinking money is our salvation.
June 27-Purposeful Living
Edited by Gary G. Hoag and Tim MacReady
Why do people invest and what motivation should drive Christians in this area? By Vince Birley, CEO Vident Financial
As Christians, when God blesses us with more than what we need, we find ourselves asking serious questions about what we should do with the surplus that He has given us. Should we invest the savings we have? What should motivate our investment decisions? Let’s tackle those two questions one at a time.
Should we invest the savings we have?
The answer is yes, but we must do it following God’s design. Life in the Garden of Eden was abundant and without risk or scarcity. The Fall changed our economic environment, shifting
from abundance to risk of scarcity and introducing risks of poor health, destructive weather, repressive leadership, and theft. God points the way back to abundance, providing humanity with the ability to produce and encouraging us to moderate our consumption so that there is enough for all.
This leaves us with more than we need. By investing that surplus, we put it to work in investments that foster further productivity by other people responsibly utilizing God-given resources and His creation. The fruit of investing, then, can be used for giving to God, caring for family members, serving others in need, and preparing wisely for an uncertain future.
June 28-Purposeful Living
Edited by Gary G. Hoag and Tim MacReady
Why do people invest and what motivation should drive Christians in this area? By Vince Birley, CEO Vident Financial
What should motivate our investment decisions?
The key to faithfully navigating the waters of investment is to make sure our motivations stay on course. Just because saving and investing can be prudent doesn’t mean that we always approach it with the right motives. Many in the investment industry promote greed and covetousness to attract investors. They constantly encourage investors to watch over their proverbial shoulder to see how their results compare to their peers or send out warnings that they might be at risk of losing all of their savings. Greed and fear drive many investment managers and markets around the world. But these are vices, not biblical motivations!
When we try to maximize personal wealth, we can lose sight of our original goals — generosity to others and prudent preparation — as stated earlier. When we pursue relative returns (what we achieve compared to others), we foster covetousness and discontentment in ourselves. Often, this leads us to make foolish investment decisions to try to keep pace with others. When we are driven by fear, we are tempted to act like the servant in the parable of the talents who hid the master’s money (see Matthew 25:14-30).
These unhealthy motivations distract us; we neither serve others generously, nor prepare wisely for life in an uncertain world. We must stop looking at what others are doing and be faithful like the two other servants in the parable who put the master’s money to work and were rewarded for doing so.
June 29-Purposeful Living
Edited by Gary G. Hoag and Tim MacReady
Why do people invest and what motivation should drive Christians in this area? By Vince Birley, CEO Vident Financial
As we strive to be faithful, we measure risk not in terms of ups and downs in the market, but in terms of obedience. Of course, we should understand the financial risks of any investments we make — this is part of prudence and wisdom in investing, and ensuring that we have realistic expectations. The key is not to allow risk to drive or paralyze us, because we cannot eliminate it. Instead, we can calmly navigate gains and losses in the market, understanding our hope is in God, who controls all outcomes.
In biblical terms, houses built on rock can endure storms while those built on sand cannot (See Matthew 7:24-27). We want to build investments on solid foundations: where leadership and governance are accountable, ethical and moral principles are upheld, creation is valued, and workers are respected, protected, and rewarded. We also want to diversify so that all our eggs aren’t placed in one basket.
We must remember that Christ invites us to steward faithfully and enjoy life free of greed and fear. To this end, we must not put our hope or trust in our earthly possessions but rather live life based on our eternal home. It is so easy to transfer our faith from God to our net worth. This means answering the question, “How much is enough?” We must all use God’s rich provision to support a life of generous service.
Edited by Gary G. Hoag and Tim MacReady
What does your savings account say about your heart? by Nicholas Breach, Executive Director of Compass
“How much do you have in your savings account? What are you saving up for?” These questions asked by the Royal Australian Air Force officer sitting across the table shocked me.
Ever since I was a kid, my dream was to fly jets in the Royal Australian Air Force. I didn’t want to be just a pilot, I wanted to fly jets. This ambition emerged when I was 12 when I was invited into the cockpit of an Ansett F-28. The pilots told me to do a couple of lazy S- turns, with about 50 passengers on board! After that brief stint at the controls, I started to read everything I could about airplanes. My dad even had a friend who took me up in their Cessna. I took the controls for the first time and felt that sense of freedom and awe that comes from effortless movement in the lower atmosphere. I loved flying, but I had no idea that my love of flying would eventually teach me about God’s thoughts on saving.
Why do we save?
God gives us Scripture on savings to remind us of our role as stewards of God’s provision in the seasons of life. For example, from the ant we learn that storing up during a season of plenty is wise, preceding a season of want. Proverbs 6:6-8, “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.”
With investing, God’s command to diversify precedes a reminder that we don’t know what future calamity may come. We do this not for selfish reasons, as the bigger barn builder known as “the rich fool” learned. The wealth he stored up for himself was of no use to him when tragedy came unexpectedly. With these and other passages God reminds us to maintain a focus on the eternal, while remembering that our lives and the wealth entrusted to us are temporary. God invites us to save a portion, but not all, because he knows storing up everything that He gives us for ourselves results in an empty life and an even emptier death.
June 25-Purposeful Living
Edited by Gary G. Hoag and Tim MacReady
What does your savings account say about your heart? by Nicholas Breach, Executive Director of Compass
Where is your heart?
Returning to my dream of flying, I was minutes away from becoming a fighter pilot. There were no more steps, no more RAAF tests, exams or interviews. However, as I reflected on the officer’s questions, I realized that my answers would reveal whether or not I was dedicated to serving my country. He wanted to see if my heart was in it, and if I was committed to the sacrifices it would take.
“How much do you have in your savings account? What are you saving up for?” He asked. I told him that my savings were intended for a car for Uni. The officer then asked a final, fateful question. How much of my savings had I spent on the things that mattered to him, like flying lessons? To which, I replied. “Nothing.” My only flight instruction was free and lasted only a few minutes.
Reflecting on that conversation years later helped me comprehend why the officer handed me a rejection letter that day. My use of money showed him where my heart was. Because I had not used God’s gifts, including savings for things that mattered to the officer, he concluded my heart was not in becoming a fighter pilot. [Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”]
June 26-Purposeful Living
Edited by Gary G. Hoag and Tim MacReady
What does your savings account say about your heart? by Nicholas Breach, Executive Director of Compass
God owns everything and is our sole Provider. If we correctly grasp that God’s role is to provide and our role is to manage what He gives us, then we create in ourselves, in our actions, a sense of anticipatory dependency. We take the posture of a trusting child in relationship to our Father for the next good gift.
When our minds are occupied with thoughts of how to best use God’s gifts to advance His kingdom, our hearts naturally follow. If we are storing up treasure here on earth by considering our bank accounts as our source of power, respect, and salvation, our hearts will move surreptitiously away from God.
God has given us money to show us where our idols lie and to force us to make a decision on where we want our heart to go. Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
The very use of the thing that risks becoming our idol can instead be the chief indicator of our Christian faith.
God has given us a wonderful invitation to come to Him for guidance on saving and investing. The Lord has not been overly prescriptive, instead He has given us descriptive guidelines to make us curious, and bookends to warn us. We are to follow Jesus daily by denying ourselves, considering our old lives dead, and asking what He wants us to do today with the money and stuff He supplies. A heart focused on eternity, on building God’s kingdom won’t be misled into thinking money is our salvation.
June 27-Purposeful Living
Edited by Gary G. Hoag and Tim MacReady
Why do people invest and what motivation should drive Christians in this area? By Vince Birley, CEO Vident Financial
As Christians, when God blesses us with more than what we need, we find ourselves asking serious questions about what we should do with the surplus that He has given us. Should we invest the savings we have? What should motivate our investment decisions? Let’s tackle those two questions one at a time.
Should we invest the savings we have?
The answer is yes, but we must do it following God’s design. Life in the Garden of Eden was abundant and without risk or scarcity. The Fall changed our economic environment, shifting
from abundance to risk of scarcity and introducing risks of poor health, destructive weather, repressive leadership, and theft. God points the way back to abundance, providing humanity with the ability to produce and encouraging us to moderate our consumption so that there is enough for all.
This leaves us with more than we need. By investing that surplus, we put it to work in investments that foster further productivity by other people responsibly utilizing God-given resources and His creation. The fruit of investing, then, can be used for giving to God, caring for family members, serving others in need, and preparing wisely for an uncertain future.
June 28-Purposeful Living
Edited by Gary G. Hoag and Tim MacReady
Why do people invest and what motivation should drive Christians in this area? By Vince Birley, CEO Vident Financial
What should motivate our investment decisions?
The key to faithfully navigating the waters of investment is to make sure our motivations stay on course. Just because saving and investing can be prudent doesn’t mean that we always approach it with the right motives. Many in the investment industry promote greed and covetousness to attract investors. They constantly encourage investors to watch over their proverbial shoulder to see how their results compare to their peers or send out warnings that they might be at risk of losing all of their savings. Greed and fear drive many investment managers and markets around the world. But these are vices, not biblical motivations!
When we try to maximize personal wealth, we can lose sight of our original goals — generosity to others and prudent preparation — as stated earlier. When we pursue relative returns (what we achieve compared to others), we foster covetousness and discontentment in ourselves. Often, this leads us to make foolish investment decisions to try to keep pace with others. When we are driven by fear, we are tempted to act like the servant in the parable of the talents who hid the master’s money (see Matthew 25:14-30).
These unhealthy motivations distract us; we neither serve others generously, nor prepare wisely for life in an uncertain world. We must stop looking at what others are doing and be faithful like the two other servants in the parable who put the master’s money to work and were rewarded for doing so.
June 29-Purposeful Living
Edited by Gary G. Hoag and Tim MacReady
Why do people invest and what motivation should drive Christians in this area? By Vince Birley, CEO Vident Financial
As we strive to be faithful, we measure risk not in terms of ups and downs in the market, but in terms of obedience. Of course, we should understand the financial risks of any investments we make — this is part of prudence and wisdom in investing, and ensuring that we have realistic expectations. The key is not to allow risk to drive or paralyze us, because we cannot eliminate it. Instead, we can calmly navigate gains and losses in the market, understanding our hope is in God, who controls all outcomes.
In biblical terms, houses built on rock can endure storms while those built on sand cannot (See Matthew 7:24-27). We want to build investments on solid foundations: where leadership and governance are accountable, ethical and moral principles are upheld, creation is valued, and workers are respected, protected, and rewarded. We also want to diversify so that all our eggs aren’t placed in one basket.
We must remember that Christ invites us to steward faithfully and enjoy life free of greed and fear. To this end, we must not put our hope or trust in our earthly possessions but rather live life based on our eternal home. It is so easy to transfer our faith from God to our net worth. This means answering the question, “How much is enough?” We must all use God’s rich provision to support a life of generous service.
Posted in Daily Devotionals