Christian Investing
“Scripture emphasizes prudence, stewardship, the sanctity of life, and generosity. These principles help us create investment strategies that seek financial returns, honor God, and support His work on Earth.”
What is Christian Investing?
Christian investing is an approach to managing one's financial resources in a way that aligns with biblical principles, Christian values, and financial returns. It works to consider the moral and ethical implications of our investment choices.
Christian impact investing, also known as Kingdom impact investing, takes this a step further by targeting investments that provide financial returns and contribute to overtly Christian goals, such as evangelism. This type of investing typically involves private companies and funds that can measure and demonstrate their impact from a Christian perspective.
By integrating faith into financial decisions, Christians can steward their resources in a manner that furthers God's work on earth, reflecting a commitment to living out their beliefs in every aspect of their lives.
Biblically Based Strategies
At its core, Christian investing utilizes Biblically Responsible Investing (BRI), where investments are screened to exclude companies involved in activities contrary to Christian teachings, such as pornography, gambling, and abortion. Additionally, positive screening is used to identify and support companies that promote family-friendly values, ethical labor practices, and sustainable environmental policies.
To invest according to Christian principles, one needs strategies rooted in Biblical wisdom. While the Bible does not offer a step-by-step process on how to invest biblically, it lays out a framework for principles that guide Christian investments. Scripture emphasizes prudence, stewardship, the sanctity of life, and generosity. These principles help create investment strategies that seek financial returns, honor God, and support His work on Earth.
What Does Scripture Say?
In Proverbs 13:22, Christians are encouraged to be diligent to provide for the next generation. One way to do this is to steward what God has generously gifted and put it in positions to multiply (Matthew 25:14-30). Additionally, Scripture even encourages the diversification of investments (Ecclesiastes 11:1-6).
With all this in mind, Scripture cautions that the purpose of money is to Glorify God because a Christian’s ultimate treasure lies in His presence (Proverbs 3:9-10; Matthew 6:19-21).
Ethical Growth
Ethical growth is about pursuing financial returns without compromising one’s values. By investing in companies that prioritize Christian values and align with God’s heart for the flourishing of creation, we can achieve growth that benefits both our portfolios and the world around us. It highlights the importance of both investment and divestment, contributing to companies that allow the growth of God’s Kingdom, and opposing companies that hinder that growth. This approach ensures that we can love God and our neighbors through our investments.
Stewardship and Responsibility
Scripture teaches that Christians have a profound responsibility and stewardship over the resources God entrusts to humanity. In the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), Jesus illustrates this by telling of servants who were given talents (a form of money) to manage while their master was away. The servants who wisely invested and increased their master's wealth were praised and rewarded, while the one who hid his talent out of fear was rebuked. This story shows that God expects humankind to manage and grow the resources they have been given wisely and diligently. It's not just about personal gain; it's about honoring God through prudent and ethical financial decisions.
Additionally, other scriptures highlight the importance of stewardship and ethical behavior in all aspects of life, including investing. Proverbs 21:5, for instance, says, "The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty," emphasizing the value of careful planning and thoughtful decision-making. In 1 Timothy 6:17-19, Paul advises the wealthy not to be arrogant or put their hope in wealth but to be generous and ready to share, laying up treasures for the future. These passages encourage the use of our financial resources to do good and support causes that align with the Christian faith. By doing so, investments not only provide financial returns but also advance God's kingdom and uphold Christian values.
How to Get Started with Christian Investing
Embarking on the journey of Christian investing requires thoughtful planning and a clear understanding of your values. Here are some steps to help you get started:
Define Your Values
The first step is to clearly define your values and identify the principles that will guide your investment choices. Reflect on what matters most to you as a Christian investor. This might include supporting pro-life initiatives, eradicating hunger, or ensuring environmental sustainability. By articulating your values, you can make informed decisions that align with your faith. It is also important to define what things you do not want to support financially. For example, maybe you want to avoid investing in companies that promote gambling, pornography, or abortion.
Build a Faith-Based Portfolio
Once you've defined your values, the next step is to build a faith-based portfolio. This involves selecting investments that align with your principles while also meeting your financial goals. Consider working with a Christian financial advisor who specializes in faith-based investing to help you navigate the complexities of the market and identify suitable investment opportunities. If you would like to focus on pro-life investing, get a Free Impact Report with us.
Your Investment with ProLife Investing
Pro-Life Investing is a key focus for many Christian investors, emphasizing the importance of supporting companies and initiatives that uphold the sanctity of life. This involves screening out investments in companies involved in abortion services or those that support pro-choice policies. By directing your investments towards pro-life businesses, you can contribute to the protection of life and the promotion of a culture of life.
Your Investment with ProLife Investing
Pro-Life Investing is a key focus for many Christian investors, emphasizing the importance of supporting companies and initiatives that uphold the sanctity of life. This involves screening out investments in companies involved in abortion services or those that support pro-choice policies. By directing your investments towards pro-life businesses, you can contribute to the protection of life and the promotion of a culture of life.
How Do We Screen Investments?
Screening investments involves evaluating companies based on their business practices, products, and policies. At Pro-life Investing we use a rigorous screening process to exclude companies that violate Biblical principles and to identify those that uphold ethical standards. Policies are ever-shifting, and we must work to stay on top of what is happening with the businesses our clients are invested in. Get your Free Impact Report with us today to start the process of screening your investments!
Ethical Auditing
Ethical auditing is an ongoing process of reviewing and assessing investments to ensure they continue to align with Christian values. This involves regular monitoring of company activities, policies, and practices. By conducting ethical audits, we can ensure that your investments remain consistent with your faith and make adjustments as needed to address any concerns.
Pro-life Advocacy
Pro-life advocacy is a vital aspect of biblical investing. Beyond just avoiding investments in pro-choice companies, it involves actively supporting and promoting pro-life initiatives. This can include investing in organizations that provide support for expectant mothers, advocating for policies that protect the unborn, avoiding investments that fund travel for abortion, and raising awareness about the sanctity of life.
Conclusion
Faith-driven investing is about more than just financial returns; it's about honoring God with one’s resources and making a positive impact on the world. By aligning your investments with your faith, you can achieve ethical growth, practice responsible stewardship, and support causes that reflect your Christian values, even as the world shifts and changes. Whether you're just starting or looking to refine your investment strategy, there are countless opportunities to invest in a way that glorifies God and furthers His kingdom.
Embarking on this journey has been so impactful for me and how I view my investments. Check out my story here: