Biblically Responsible Investing – Will it be Jesus? Or a Box of Cookies?

By Ryan De Amicis 

Ninety-six percent of adults admit they have an internal dialogue. But only one quarter of these self-proclaimed adults admit they talk to themselves out loud. 

Hello, my name is Ryan De Amicis, and I am one of these adults who talks out loud to himself. I could be anywhere; most of the time, it’s at the grocery store and it’s an intense debate over whether I should buy Fred Meyer’s perfectly baked Private Selection White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies. 

Whether your dialogue with yourself is internal or external, we can harness this trait for good. Many of us want to make the best investment or financial decision available. If that’s you, you are in good company. Here’s questions we often come across: Should I be saving more? Will I run out of money? Should I be giving less? Should we buy that business? How about moving to a bigger home? Time to downsize? Should we splurge on the Telsa Cybertruck? (I mean it’s only $100K and we’ll save money on gas… okay… okay… that’s just my excuse.) 

So, the next time you are contemplating a financial decision, consider starting a dialogue with yourself (or better yet with a loved one) by posing the following questions: 

First, how will this financial decision increase my daily dependence on the provision of Jesus? While fear may motivate us to bury our treasure under the ground (Matthew 25:14-30), greed can also influence us to store up as much as possible (Luke 12:13-21). I often find fear and greed present in my personal money decisions, and my continual petition to God is that I want Him, not things. Anyway, as we strive to make decisions that honor the Lord and prepare for the future, there is a call to contentment as we daily depend on the provision of God (Hebrews 13:5). 

Second, how will this financial decision require us to trust in God? In the book of Malachi, God cries out to His people because of their faithlessness. The Israelites broke their covenant with God by “offering defiled food on [His] altar” and robbing Him of his tithes and offerings. The Lord challenges them to “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this … and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it” (Malachi 3:10). Since God is trustworthy, do our financial decisions reveal our trust in Him? 

Third, how does this financial decision increase our loyalty to God? You may have heard this:  show me your calendar and your checkbook and I’ll tell you what you value. As we make monetary commitments, we are silently attesting to the things we value and, dare I say, what we are loyal to. Do I take out a loan for the Tesla Cybertruck? Do I buy the nicest house the bank will lend me money for? While I desire to have a nice home and car, may we consider a sign that we are loyal to God is the continued discovery of the joy of generosity. Jesus Himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35b). 

Lastly, how does this financial decision increase our ability to serve the people God has called us to? At the end of the day, money is a tool. Jesus reminds us, “[we] cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24). Where has God called you to minister? Who are the people God has called you to serve? 

Proverbs 4:26 states, “Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure.” As Christians, we are stewards of God’s resources. We would benefit from drawing near to Scripture and listening to the Holy Spirit’s prompting as we navigate through life’s challenging financial decisions. 

I used to frequently buy cookies because eating a box of them comforted me after a stressful day. While I still find myself clinging to food for comfort, I’m discovering more joy out of depending on God to satisfy the desires of my heart than a box of cookies could ever touch. 

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., a Registered Investment Advisor. 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., a Registered Investment Advisor.