The Ten Commandments To Financial HealingSample

Commandment #6- Don't Hide Your Money In A Napkin

Refer to Luke 19:20-22, here we find a noblemen who leaves money to each of his ten servants upon his departure. He instructs each of them to invest the money until he returns. Upon his return, he calls each of the ten servants to determine how much money each has gained by investing.

He finds that the first and second servant invested wisely. As a result, they both obtained a gain on their investment. Because of this, he blesses each servant and makes them ruler over a number of cities. However, when the noblemen questioned the third servant, he finds that the servant did not invest the money, but simply kept the money tucked away in a napkin. This is no different in our lives, as a steward of God’s resources, He too will ask what we did with our time, possessions and resources.

BE FAITHFUL OVER LITTLE
Just as in this passage, God requires us to be good stewards over all that He has placed in our care. It is our responsibility to ensure our gifts, talents and more importantly, our money grows. So, my question for you is, what are you hiding in a napkin?

I recall having the opportunity to speak with a friend who informed me about her fear of investing. Because of the ups and downs in the market, she decided to simply not invest at all. As a result, she is more comfortable with conservative financial products, which pay little to no interest. But the reality is, just like the servant, if we are not growing our resources, we are not exercising good stewardship over what God has given us.

Understanding whether you should invest is a matter of what your financial goals are and your time horizon. Of course, if you need the money for emergencies or for a down payment on a home in the next few years, it may not be a good idea to invest these funds in risky assets. Since the market is risky, especially in the short term, a quick drop in the market could damage your investment. However, if time is on your side, investing for the long term is a great idea, because losses could possibly be offset by future gains.