{"id":388,"date":"2012-02-22T06:26:07","date_gmt":"2012-02-22T14:26:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/fwfforwomen.com\/?p=388"},"modified":"2016-02-19T21:52:58","modified_gmt":"2016-02-19T21:52:58","slug":"make-your-dollar-grow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/faithfulwithfinances.com\/im-faithful-blog\/2012\/02\/make-your-dollar-grow\/","title":{"rendered":"Make Your Dollar Grow"},"content":{"rendered":"

God has specifically chosen us<\/em> to be His \u201cmoney managers\u201d.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

By now, you\u2019ve probably realized that we don\u2019t own ANY of it! It\u2019s all His! And because we are His servants, Christ expects an exceptional life from us, including the way we handle His money.<\/p>\n

In Matthew 25:20-21,\u00a0 we are given a glimpse of what our Master expects from us;<\/p>\n

20<\/sup> \u201cSo he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, \u2018Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.\u2019 21<\/sup> His lord said to him, \u2018Well done,<\/em> good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

If you happen to have a lump of cash lying around, you better be doing something with it!<\/p>\n

God does not accept laziness, and He wants us to look for ways to <\/em>grow<\/strong> His resources. In the parable of Matthew 25, we are given a real picture of what it means to trust God with everything He\u2019s given to us. If we multiply His resources, He blesses us. If we hide it away and sit in fear, He curses us.<\/p>\n

So let\u2019s look at some ways that we can begin to venture out into the world of investing\u2026<\/p>\n

Here is a helpful graph that shows what were to happen if we invested $5,000 over different periods of time. \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at a period of 10 years. Column one illustrates what would happen if you left your $5000 in a local bank, one-tenth of one percent is the current going rate. So at the end of ten years\u2026a whopping $50 dollars gained!<\/p>\n

Now let\u2019s say that you were able to invest the $5000 and earn 5%, in ten years you would have $8,144 \u2013 a bit better than the bank!<\/p>\n

Finally let\u2019s see what would happen if you invested your $5000 in a professionally managed account (which we do at SPM<\/a>) that earned 7.2%.\u00a0 At the end of 10 years your money has almost doubled! Which one of these would earn the remark \u201cWell done good and faithful servant\u201d?<\/p>\n

When you starting thinking about investing, make sure you have as a starting point, a cash reserve that equals approximately 3-4 months of your monthly bills.\u00a0 Beyond that, seek a professional to help you identify suitable investments that will help you achieve your short and long term goals.<\/p>\n

If you have already become an investor don\u2019t become complacent. Review your rates of return, check on the progress you are making as you save for college funding or retirement.\u00a0 Analyze your real property \u2013 did you know there are very creative ways to charitably gift an appreciated asset in a tax-favored way?<\/p>\n

And finally, always review the status of your giving.\u00a0 Make sure that as you become more \u201cprofitable\u201d you continue to increase your giving accordingly.\u00a0 Self-centeredness has a unique way of creeping up on us and causing us to spend on meaningless, empty, material possessions.\u00a0 So invest and invest wisely but constantly remind yourself that these are not your<\/em> assets but they belong to the LORD.\u00a0 Your attitude with respect to your financial resources will indeed reflect the level of your faith!<\/p>\n

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