- Investing is a privilege and a stewardship responsibility. The goal is to manage God’s resources faithfully.
- Biblical investing is purposeful, aimed at providing for family, serving others, and storing up lasting treasure rather than chasing wealth for its own sake.
- Wise investors diversify, manage carefully, and guard against greed, because Scripture is clear that uncertainty is real and quick riches rarely last.
The Privilege to Invest Biblically
Investing is a privilege.
Many people do not have surplus resources available for future growth.
Through sin – greed, oppression, and injustice – and external circumstances, economic access to investment opportunities is not available to everyone. As such, the inability to invest is not always connected to one’s lack of faith or disobedience.
But for those who do have that privilege, the call to honor God remains. Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
Biblical investing begins with understanding stewardship, learning how to invest wisely, and recognizing what to avoid.
How to Steward
Everything we have belongs to God. That means our investments are no exception.
In Kingdom Stewardship, Tony Evans captures this responsibility well:
“We have been asked to fill in the context of that ‘well done’ we hope He will one day say to us. This responsibility is called stewardship. It is a managerial role, not an ownership position. Our role as stewards is to make this world a better place for each person in it, all the while advancing His kingdom agenda on earth.”
If that’s true, then how we invest matters.
Stewardship is the foundation of biblical investing. It means growing what God has entrusted to you, laying up treasures in heaven, and thinking generationally so that your faithfulness today provides for your children’s children tomorrow.
1. Grow God’s Blessings (Parable of the Talents – Matthew 25:14-30)
In the Parable of the Talents, the master praises the servants who were faithful with what they were given and rebukes the one who buried his talent out of fear.
The lesson is straightforward: God calls His people to be faithful stewards of whatever He has entrusted to them, whether much or little.
Fear and inaction have no place in faithful stewardship. God values obedience, diligence, and trust. Even small, consistent investments can grow over time and create real opportunities to give generously, support ministry, help family, and bless the next generation.
The size of what we have is not the measure of our faithfulness.
How we manage it is.
2. Lay Up Treasures in Heaven (Matthew 6:19-20)
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
By telling us not to store up earthly treasures, Jesus speaks to our hearts, the very thing 1 Samuel 16:7 confirms God values most.
“The Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
When our heart to invest is to build funds that help the needy, feed the hungry, support our family, and do other things that serve God’s kingdom, our financial goals transform from being earthly minded to heavenly minded.
Although the full mysteries of Heaven have yet to be revealed, the Bible does specify a few ways we can lay up treasures in Heaven.
- Endure persecution for God (Matthew 5:11-12)
- Be faithful (Revelations 2:10)
- Give to the needy for the glory of God (Matthew 6:2)
- Support God’s disciples (Matthew 10:42)
- Love our enemies (Luke 6:35)
- Persevere in doing good (Galatians 6:9)
Our motivation for wealth should always have God at the forefront. Any other motive is temporary and terminal.
3. Provide for Your Children’s Children (Proverbs 13:22)
A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.
When we provide for our family, we share God’s providential love.
Even moreso, providing for our children’s children extends our ability to share God’s providential love with future generations.
Stewarding our assets to provide for future generations tells our descendants that, in the same way that God cares for our needs, we have also considered their needs and financial well-being.
In the Old Testament Days, this type of generational wealth was transferred upon one’s passing.
In the 21st century, however, most of us need to create an estate plan and fund the estate to properly pass on generational wealth.
Note: Most estates requires some type of investment growth to be funded. Otherwise, the funds can quickly diminish and provide limited resources for future generations.
With an estate plan, you often establish trusts, purchase life insurance and appoint beneficiaries to avoid probate and legally transfer assets to the next generation.
→ Related: Demystifying the Estate Plan: A Q&A with Portia Wood, Esq., LL.M.
4. Aspire to Live a Quiet Life (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12)
…aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.
Think of that TikTok influencer who constantly posts about options trading online, while offline he is couch surfing and reliant on credit card debt. Or, that family member who has no job and always asks for money, but is eager to teach you how to achieve financial freedom with forex trading.
These types of investors are not living a quiet life.
It is not the investments themselves that keep their lives from being quiet. Rather, they become so consumed with the potential return on those investments that they neglect the work required to manage their present responsibilities.
They interfere with other people’s lives by intentionally depending on others for present-day needs.
Note: God understands, however, that some people are in genuine need even while they are working, especially when hardship comes through circumstances such as a weak economy, disability, or a layoff. In those situations, dependence is not a matter of neglect or presumption, but of real need.
As followers of Christ, we should aspire to lead a quiet life. Here’s why –
- For the Thessalonians who lived in a culture that oppressed Christians, a quiet life was a practical way to avoid negative attention. This remains true today.
- The Bible urges us to “lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”
- Living a quiet life is an expression of the greatest commandment, love. Although hardships will come, living quietly and responsibly is a way to love others, aiming to be a source of help rather than a liability.
To lead a quiet life, we should continue to take care of our responsibilities as we invest. By doing this, we can show godly love towards others and be of good testimony.
How To Invest
Now that we understand how to steward our investments for God’s glory, let’s look to God’s word for practical guidance on how to invest.
5. Diversify Your Assets (Ecclesiastes 11:2)
Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.
Personal finance gurus often make the point that the average millionaire has seven streams of income.
Turns out King Solomon, known as a man of wisdom (1 Kings 3:12) , recommended at least seven streams as well!
Now, understand that having more or less than seven income streams is normally not a sign of poor stewardship or sin. The number of streams is not as important as the diversification.
Practically, diversified income streams can reduce our exposure to economic and market risks.
This principle is practically demonstrated in the life of Joseph, who, as the governor of Egypt, managed the state’s agricultural reserves by storing grain across many cities during seven years of plenty. By diversifying his storage locations and resources, he successfully sustained the nation through a catastrophic seven-year famine that would have otherwise led to total economic collapse.
Spirtually, diversification acknowledges that God has ultimate control over the resources he has blessed us with. By spreading resources across different areas, we move away from the pride of thinking we can predict or control market outcomes and instead lean into a Biblical model of stewardship.
Putting all of our resources into one “sure thing” can often become a form of misplaced trust. Diversification keeps us from tethering our sense of security to a single earthly asset.
6. Manage Your Investments (Proverbs 27:23-24)
Know well the condition of your flocks,
and give attention to your herds,
for riches do not last forever;
and does a crown endure to all generations?
When the grass is gone and the new growth appears
and the vegetation of the mountains is gathered,
the lambs will provide your clothing,
and the goats the price of a field.
There will be enough goats’ milk for your food,
for the food of your household
and maintenance for your girls.
In the days of King Solomon, herds and flocks were investments. The Israelites depended on these herds and flocks for food, clothing and long-term resources.
By managing their investments well, the Israelites put themselves in a strong position to carry out their God-given duty to provide for their household.
And, even though today’s herds and flocks have transformed into stocks, bonds, real estate, cryptocurrency and other complex assets, we should handle our investments in the same way.
To know our investments, we must understand how our assets can work towards our long-term goals. This means we have to have a long-term financial plan and adequate financial literacy.
→ Related: Investing 101: 5 Things Every Modern Investor Needs to Consider
If the thought of understanding the investment world feels overwhelming, seek counsel from qualified financial advisors. In fact, Solomon actually recommends seeking counsel in Proverbs 15:22.
Once we have developed an investment plan, we should maintain our investments by –
- reassessing our long-term goals with life changes,
- shifting investments that no longer produce income (unless God places a conviction to hold the investment for a different God-honoring purpose),
- adding investments to pay for children’s college or any other large expense, and
- staying on track for a healthy retirement.
When we manage our investments well, we glorify God by fulfilling our call to care for the resources he has entrusted us with.
7. Pay Your Taxes (Romans 13:6-7)
For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.
Just like our wages, our return on investments are subject to tax.
Ordinary Income Tax, Net Investment Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax are just a few types of tax applied to our investment income.
There is nothing wrong with legally reducing what you owe, and there is compassion for those who face seasons of genuine financial hardship. The calling is simply to approach your tax obligations with integrity and the intention to make things right.
For instance, when you sell a home for a gain, you should set aside a portion of earnings subject to federal and state capital gains tax (unless all earnings are subject to the section 121 exclusion).
As much as taxes may frustrate us, the call to pay them faithfully is not up for debate.
How Not to Invest
We can learn a lot about Biblical investing by taking heed of how not to invest.
Let’s take a look at a few scriptures that caution against certain types of investments.
8. Avoid selfish and sinful intention (Acts 5:1-4; Ephesians 5:10-11)
Avoid selfish intention
But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.
To build God’s Church, early Christians sold and shared their possessions to advance the Gospel and support the needs of God’s people. They were of one heart and one mind, as God’s people should be.
Ananias and Sapphira, however, had a different agenda.
They wanted to give the appearance of having a heart to give while deceivingly keeping resources for themselves.
The issue here is not just that they kept some of the proceeds for themselves, but that they also tried to cover up their selfish intentions.
For us Christians, this is an important lesson. Even if we try to cover up our selfish motives for investing and building wealth, God knows the truth.
While God’s Word encourages us to enjoy life, be financially independent and provide for our needs, he also does not want us to invest for purposes of greed and selfishness.
We must constantly evaluate our investment motive and ask God to create in us a clean heart that desires to glorify Him with our wealth.
Avoid sinful intention (Ephesians 5:10-11)
As Christians, we should also be thoughtful about the companies and industries our investment dollars are funding. When we purchase stock in a company, we become a partial owner of that business and, in some sense, a participant in what it produces.
Investing heavily in a company that openly and adamantly profits from pornography, predatory gambling, or the exploitation of vulnerable people warrants serious reflection.
For those who want to be more intentional, there are now Biblically Responsible Investing funds, faith based funds, and other screened investment vehicles designed to exclude companies whose practices conflict with Christian values.
These can be a meaningful option for investors who want their portfolio to reflect their faith. However, exercise discernment before committing. Some of these funds are shaped more by political agendas than by genuine Christlike values, and the screening criteria do not always align with Scripture as closely as the marketing suggests.
As with any investment decision, the wisest approach is to pray, examine your heart, research what the fund actually holds, and ask whether it truly reflects a desire to glorify God.
9. Avoid covetousness (Luke 12:15)
And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.
In the Parable of the Rich Fool, Jesus makes the point that, when God takes us Home, we cannot take our possessions with us.
So, when we covet someone else’s possessions, it reveals a heart that prioritizes things of this world instead of things of God’s kingdom.
A covetous heart not only breaks one of God’s commandments, it also expresses discontentment towards the blessings God has given us.
We should recognize that godliness with contentment is of great gain. With a content heart, we can make financial investments from a place of gratitude and a desire to build God’s kingdom.
10. Avoid the “get rich quick” mentality (Proverbs 13:11)
Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.
Many financial advisors will tell you that “boring” investing is good investing.
Boring investing normally involves investing portions of money in diverse investments over a period of time. Historically, this type of investing allows for financial security and long-term growth.
Retirement accounts are great examples of boring investments. Pensions, IRAs, 401(k)s and other types of retirement accounts normally produce positive long-term results over decades.
Some investors, however, prefer quick returns. These investors put their money into short-term and volatile investments with hopes that their high-risk will reap high-rewards
Although these types of short-term and risky investments are not always bad, they should be considered with strong discernment.
If your motive to purchase these types of investments is to gain wealth hastily, then you will want to pray and evaluate whether you are properly carrying out your calling as God’s financial steward.
| Pillar | Biblical Principle & Scripture |
|---|---|
| How to Steward | Grow God’s Blessings (Matthew 25:14-30) |
| Lay Up Treasures in Heaven (Matthew 6:19-20) | |
| Provide for Your Children’s Children (Proverbs 13:22) | |
| Aspire to Live a Quiet Life (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12) | |
| How to Invest | Diversify Your Assets (Ecclesiastes 11:2) |
| Manage Your Investments (Proverbs 27:23-24) | |
| Pay Your Taxes (Romans 13:6-7) | |
| How Not to Invest | Avoid Selfish & Sinful Intention (Acts 5:1-4; Ephesians 5:10-11) |
| Avoid Covetousness (Luke 12:15) | |
| Avoid the “Get Rich Quick” Mentality (Proverbs 13:11) |
Investing Biblically: The Bottom Line
We invest biblically because we are called to steward what God has given us, not because obedience guarantees a return.
Those who are truly rich are those who view God as their greatest treasure.
If your investments grow, give God the glory. If they do not, trust that His provision takes forms that no brokerage account can measure.
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