Новые времена Go back to the homepage To arrive safely, it's wise to stay in the boat Even in the so-called secular business and professional world, the Bible has much to teach us. For example, Matthew 14 tells us how Jesus walked on water while His disciples were in a boat during a storm. One of them, Peter, enthusiastic by nature, wanted to join Him. So, Jesus invited him to "come." Peter had a good first few steps. But then, as he focused on the storm, he became frightened, began to drown, and cried out to Jesus for salvation. The Lord helped, but rebuked Peter for his lack of faith. Эта история – яркий призыв ко всем последователям Христа покинуть «зоны комфорта» и жить смело. Однако, с точки зрения финансового инвестирования смелость – не всегда лучший подход. Вот несколько причин, по которым управляющим Божьими ресурсами обычно лучше оставаться на борту. Stewardship that adjusts God's wealth to His priorities and purposes is the assignment given to every follower of Christ. Just as this story begins with Jesus giving his disciples a task ("And immediately Jesus compelled his disciples to get into the boat and go before him to the other side"), God gives us instructions related to stewardship of wealth. We are on a journey during which we are warned that we will encounter a certain amount of trouble. "These things I have spoken to you, that you may have peace in Me. In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good courage: I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). To be a good steward of God's resources requires obedience and faith. We need an investment "boat" that will carry us safely through the economic storms. From a stewardship perspective, our boat represents a biblically sound, embodied strategy for how to manage money. It guides our spending, saving, investing, and sacrifice. Every financial decision must flow from our plan, designed to ensure a safe arrival at the end of the financial journey. Unlike Peter, we need to stay in the boat. Unfortunately, many followers of Jesus don't even bother to take the time to build their financial "boat." Or, if they do have one, they don't always stay in it. Being in a boat is usually much safer than being in a stormy sea. Expect wind and storms. Jesus' disciples knew in advance that a strong headwind on the sea, if not real, was certainly possible. In the same way, you know that there will be difficulties in your financial journey. These difficulties can take many forms: unemployment, unexpected expenses, health problems, a bad economy, weak financial markets. We must anticipate and plan for them. Ignore the wind and focus on Christ. The wind can cause us to become frightened and react inappropriately. We should stay in our "boat" and trust in the One who said: "…I will not leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5). Failure is not an event, but rather a judgment of an event. The financial environment does not always offer positive reinforcement. In the short term, we may lose money by following our plan or make money by deviating from it. When this happens, we may view "good" behavior as a failure and "bad" behavior as a reward. The judgment we make about any financial "failure" must be conceptualized in the context of the individual plan. Decisions consistent with our plan are the "win," regardless of the immediate outcome. In the long run, we will benefit from maintaining an orderly, dispassionate strategy for making investment decisions very. If we trust God for guidance, then we have already succeeded. Austin Pryor has over 40 years of investor counseling experience. He is the founder of the Sound Mind Investing newsletter and website, the author of The Prudent Investing Handbook, endorsed by many respected Christian teachers, and has sold more than 100,000 copies. Austin lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with his wife, Susie. Questions for reflection/discussion Are you familiar with the Bible story of Peter, a disciple of Christ, who left his boat during a storm to walk across the waves to Jesus? What thoughts come to mind when you think about this Bible story? Would you be that bold? Why do you think Austin Pryor recommends that we be willing to leave our "comfort zone" and be bold followers of Jesus Christ as stewards of God's resources, because boldness and impulsiveness are not always good qualities, are they? How do you usually react when you encounter financial difficulties in any of its various forms? Who do you turn to for advice or counseling at such times? When you read Jesus' promise, "I will not leave you nor forsake you," how do you feel? How do you think this promise applies to our financial situation? NOTES. If you have a Bible and want to read more, consider the following passages: Deuteronomy 8:18; 1 Chronicles 29:11-12; Proverbs 15:16, 22:7, 26-27, 30:8-9; Luke 6:38 Difficult task Have you ever studied what the Bible teaches about how we use our financial and material resources and what God commissions us to do as stewards? If you haven't, this week pray that God will direct you to someone who can help you understand the biblical principles of financial stewardship, including charitable giving. You will probably be amazed at what you will learn.
