Christians who are serious about their faith and their investments often find themselves in conflict. It is the conflict between remaining true to their spiritual principles or the desire to be a profitable steward. Far too often, Christians simply close their eyes to the conflict and live as if one has nothing to do with the other.
The truth is that the consistency between our investments and our values is very important. Jesus was clear when He said there will be judgment of our stewardship and He was speaking of more than returning a financial profit. It is imperative to find a way to accomplish both in order to hear the affirmation, “well done, good and faithful steward” from our Master.
In the book, “Profit or Principles: Investing Without Compromise,” you will be introduced to a character named Todd who is very much like many Christian investors today. Through the circumstances of his life and the challenge of God’s Word, Todd discovered the need to do more than deposit checks in order to be a faithful investor. He discovered that one of his investments included part-ownership of a building being used to house a women’s clinic that provided abortions.
Todd and his wife wrestled with the proper solution to this investment that was totally contrary to their spiritual values. Resisting the temptation to simply wash their hands and run away from it as fast as possible, they discovered that investors often have the ability to change things because of their ownership. Along the way they also discovered how being stock holders in other companies also carries similar responsibilities.
The purpose of “Profit or Principles” is to introduce the subject of Biblically Responsible Investing. The format is to relate two stories, one with the fictional characters Todd and his wife Elise, and the other Jesus’ Parable of the Talents. The result is a biblical foundation for Biblically Responsible Investing and a treasure of practical information for investors presented in a very readable and entertaining manner.
Author Dwight Short, in his first book “Kingdom Gains,” provided a very thorough explanation of Biblically Responsible Investing. In this book, “Profit or Principles, the purpose is to motivate the reader to investigate this type of investing. The appeal is that every faithful follower of Jesus wants to be in the position of a good steward. There is not really a conflict between being faithful to spiritual principles and earning a good return. Often, the only conflict is if the investor is willing to make the necessary changes to accomplish both.
