Biblically Responsible Investing – How to be a good Kingdom Wealth Steward 

By Ryan De Amicis 

It’s a silly game we primarily played as kids. Remember it? A friend asks a question forcing you to choose between two abilities – Would you rather be Spiderman or Superman? – or disabilities – Would you rather lose your arms or your legs? Shout out to my cousin, Tomas, who seemed to have an endless supply of clever options for us to choose from. 

When Christian investors find their way into our office, they want help reaching their financial goals, and, often times, they are looking to us to help determine what those goals may be. Before we begin creating goals and working towards them, a quick game of “would you rather” could provide helpful perspective. 

Would you rather build your kingdom or partner with the Creator of the Universe to build His Kingdom? 

Like many other kingdoms, there’s probably a lot of good you can do building your own kingdom – provide for yourself, leave an inheritance for your kids, and help others in the process. While those things are good, they aren’t the complete picture and, as a result, are subject to anxiety, insecurity, and a short-term perspective. However, partnering with God to build His kingdom has many benefits, including peace (Isaiah 26:3). Ah, peace. We like peace – especially when it comes to financial planning. 

I know I don’t need to convince many of you that viewing our money decisions through the lens of the Kingdom of God is the best way to go. Who doesn’t want the stress-free life that’s offered through relationship with our Creator? I know I do. Sign me up! The challenge most of us face is how we practically go about building the Kingdom of God with our finances. 

As with every decision, it starts with prayer, revisiting the Scriptures, and listening to the Lord’s promptings. After exploring this topic with the Lord for over a decade, I’ve concluded the best place to start is to understand what our God-given role is. I believe we are called to be the Lord’s stewards. The Holman Bible Dictionary defines a steward as a manager “of all resources God provides for the glory of God and the betterment of His creation.” I’d like us to consider ourselves as “Kingdom Wealth Stewards.” 

As Kingdom Wealth Stewards: 

• We pay taxes with integrity. This can be a sensitive subject, and Scripture reminds us in Romans 13:7, “Pay to all who is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.”
• We work to support the needs of our family. Paul writes in 1 Timothy 5:8, “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

Paul also challenges the church in Thessalonica “to 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 (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12).” 

• We break the bondage of debt so we can love others well. “The borrower is slave to the lender” declares Proverbs 22:7.

Paul beautifully writes in Romans 13:8, “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another.” A quick thought to wrestle with – if we have consistent outstanding debt, are we able to love others well? 

• We prepare for the future by saving and investing biblically responsibly. Proverbs 21:20 reveals, “Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s dwelling, but a foolish man devours it.”

In the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), God was pleased with the servants that sought a return on what He entrusted to them, saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” 

• We are quick to generosity. Proverbs 11:24 states, “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”

Jesus simply puts it, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” 

As stewards, we know our wealth isn’t actually ours; it’s the Lord’s. Psalm 50:12 states, “The world is [His], and all that is in it.” 

The most common fear we come across in our office is the fear of not having enough. Yet, Jesus challenges us to practice our faith in all areas of our lives (including finances), as in Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” 

After all, why should we be afraid of not having enough when we know the limit to our humanity? What we build in a lifetime can be squandered in a moment; but, in a moment, God can accomplish more than we could in our lifetime. 

In a game of “would you rather,” I choose the Kingdom of God over my own (Lord, help me). I’d rather be Superman over Spiderman (duh!). And finally, I would rather keep my arms. See ya legs! 

Ryan De Amicis is an investment advisor with Christian Wealth Management in Boise, providing biblically responsible investment advice to Christians. For more information, visit investforthegloryofgod.com or contact him at [email protected] or (408) 758-6413. 

Investment advisory services provided by Creative Financial Designs, Inc. Securities are offered through CFD Investments, Inc., Member FINRA & SIPC. 2704 South Goyer Road, Kokomo, IN 46902, 795-453-9600. Christian Wealth Management, LLC is not affiliated with CFD Investments, Inc. or Creative Financial Designs, Inc.