It does not mean that we shouldn’t invest our money in order to have good returns, because as Christians we are supposed to be good stewards of God’s money. Seeking God’s face and His blessings before proceeding with an investment is one of the ways of denying ourselves.
Most often, we have the tendency to quickly jump into a seemingly good opportunity without seeking the Lord first and then having to pay dearly for the consequences. If we are honest with ourselves, we might have completely ignored the warning of the Lord as we made the decision to invest. There are couples who quarrel and have division over an investment opportunity. The solution is to seek the face of God together so that there will be an agreement. It will be easier to believe God when we are ONE in heart and mind with the Lord and between the couple.
There are many opportunities to acquire companies during this period through the purchase of their shares or buying over a company especially some well-known brands. Some people will even take advantage of the low interest environment to take a huge loan from the bank to purchase the companies. The economic stress brought about by COVID-19 is worse than the 2008 recession and therefore, many companies are having cash flow problems. What was initially purchased at a good price and considered a very good investment to help the person become rich quickly may turn out to be the downfall of that person. The economic situation can move upwards or downwards because we are dealing with a virus and not purely an economic downturn like 2008. The creditors who moved in to secure the assets are merciless. Therefore, it is better to pray and seek the Lord before pursuing the option to invest because it is the Lord’s money and He knows the future.
As a believer, there is absolutely nothing wrong to invest, develop and maintain a business as long as we consecrate our lives to God. TRUSTING in the LIVING GOD includes seeking His opinion before any decisions are made.
Sermon Series – Balancing Godliness and Riches (Part 2)
无定的钱财
成为我们所信靠的无定的钱财是什么? COVID-19非常清楚地向我们展示了这个世界上无定的钱财是什么。根据世界银行的数据，COVID-19已经感染了2700多万人，并将我们拖入了自二战以来最严重的经济衰退。由于国内需求减弱，全球经济产出将萎缩5.2%，主要发达国家经济体将萎缩7%。那些投资高风险投资产品的人会看到他们的大部分财富受到了影响。事实上，一切都是如此无常，唯一不变的是变化。但不用说，神是不会改变的。因此，如果我们仍然信靠无定的钱财，却没有完全信靠厚赐百物给我们享受的神，我们就应该抓住这个机会来调整我们的生活。
提摩太前书6:17你要嘱咐那些今世富足的人，不要自高，也不要倚靠无定的钱财，只要倚靠那厚赐百物给我们享受的永生的神。
这并不意味着我们不应该为了得到好的回报而投资我们的钱，因为作为基督徒，我们应该是神钱财的好管家。在进行投资之前，先寻求神的面和祂的祝福，是使我们节制自己的一种方法。
大多数情况下，我们倾向于迅速进入一个看起来很好的机会，而没有首先寻求主，然后不得不为后果付出昂贵的代价。如果我们对自己是诚实的，我们也许在决定投资时完全忽略了神的警告。有些夫妻会因为投资机会而争吵，产生分歧。解决的办法是一起寻求神的面，这样就会达成协议。当我们夫妻在主里心灵和思想上合而为一时，我们就更容易信靠神。
在这一时期有很多机会通过购买股份或收购一家公司特别是一些知名品牌，来收购公司。有些人甚至会利用低利率的环境，从银行获得巨额贷款来购买公司。COVID-19带来的经济压力比2008年的衰退更严重，因此，许多公司都出现了现金流问题。一开始以很好的价格所买下的，被认为是一项很好的投资，可以帮助人们迅速致富，但结果可能导致这个人的衰败。经济形势可以上升也可以下降，因为我们正在应对一种病毒，而不是像2008年那样纯粹的经济衰退。进来确保资产安全的债权人是冷酷无情的。因此，在做投资的选择之前，最好祷告和寻求神，因为这是神的钱，祂知道未来。
作为一个信徒，只要我们将生命分别为圣献给神，投资、发展和维护一项事业绝对没有错。信靠永生的神包括在做任何决定之前寻求祂的旨意。
讲章系列: 平衡敬虔和财富 (第二部分)