Wise Investments

Proverbs 13:11

“Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labor shall increase.” (KJV)

“Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time.” (NLT)

Get Rich Quick

A very good friend of mine has often considered ‘get rich quick’ schemes. On several occasions he has arrived on my doorstep with details of some scheme he has received in the post, or seen advertised in the press or in a magazine. Fortunately the temptation to participate in such schemes has never gone beyond discussing the details with me. Whenever I see one of these schemes I cringe inside because I know that they will not provide the returns my friend expects.

Get Rich Even Quicker

The advent of email and the Internet bought get rich schemes beyond the need to mail information. The so-called Nigerian 419 scams require an advance fee and the provision of bank details with the promise of an enormous payout. It seems incredible that anybody would believe the contents of such emails, yet there are those who pay fees to the fraudsters, and provide their bank details, only to find that their accounts have been emptied and they are poorer not richer for the experience.

Where Are You Investing?

The experience for most of us is that nothing is free. If you want to accumulate wealth then in general you need to work hard. But many of us work hard without ever becoming what we would consider to be wealthy. There are more ways than one to quantify wealth and we need to question where and how we are investing. If we labor hard at our work with the sole aim of increasing our worldly wealth our spiritual investments are likely to suffer. Jesus provided the following investment advice:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21 NIV)