What is the best approach to financial planning for Christians? As followers of Jesus, we have a powerful responsibility to be the best possible stewards of the abundance God gives us, especially our financial abundance. Having a robust financial plan is key for reaching your financial goals and being a great steward.
Christian financial planning takes your financial decisions to the next level where faith and being a Kingdom-minded investor intersect.
Is Christian financial planning different from Christian retirement planning? Let’s take a closer look at what this strategy can do for your financial goals and God’s plan for His Kingdom here on earth.
What Is Christian Financial Planning?
Christian financial planning is the practice of creating and following financial plans, making investment decisions, and gauging all potential investment opportunities in alignment with the Christian faith.
Almost half of Jesus’ parables were about money and the practice of stewardship. The book of Proverbs mentions the wisdom of counsel in the ways of money and diligence (Prov. 15, Prov. 27). What makes Christian financial planning stand out from standard financial planning is a strong emphasis on embedding biblical values into investment decisions.
Which companies do you support based on how you see their values aligning with Scripture? What investment opportunities align with your faith values? What causes and equity opportunities are connected with God’s work around the world? These are only a few of the questions that can be addressed with Christian financial planning.
Christian Financial Planning vs Regular Financial Planning
Regular financial planning tends to focus on growth metrics like expected annual return, prospectus, board experience overseeing a company, and potential acquisitions, advancements, and capture of marketshare. In many cases, regular financial planning focuses on what you as the investor can gain through your investments.
Christian financial planning elevates the conversation beyond your personal gain to see a global perspective of how your returns can further God’s Kingdom work. Christian financial advisors have the technical expertise to know how to evaluate specific investment vehicles. They also have the faith perspective to see beyond the returns and technical analysis.
What are the potential Kingdom benefits that may come with this investment? What are the potential pitfalls that may go against biblical principles and values?
The right type of Christian financial advisor can help you articulate your financial goals with your local church, parachurch ministry, and mission organization in mind. Who would you love to bless and support with your financial abundance? What matters the most to you that you see God blessing as well?
Regular financial planning has little to no vested interest in which causes you support. Financial planning for Christians recognizes all of our wealth belongs to God. It is merely our responsibility to be the best stewards of this wealth.
Top 5 Christian Financial Planning Tips
So, what are the important details and best practices for Christian financial planning? These are principles that supercede regular financial planning to truly weave biblical values into portfolio management. There are five specific tips we recommend with Christian financial planning:
- Choose your godly priorities.
- Do you due diligence.
- Reduce risk and diversify.
- Give back to your community.
- Emphasize your Christian retirement plan.
At first glance, these five principles could be easily dismissed as being the same principles found in regular financial planning. That’s why it’s important to take a more in-depth look at each of these principles to see what’s different.
Choose Your Godly Priorities
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” – Matthew 6:33, ESV
What does God want you to do with your life, your relationships, your income, and your investments? These are key questions every Christian needs to consider when making important decisions for the future. God wants us to make His Name great throughout the nations. That includes how we invest and where we invest.
Choosing your godly priorities is about knowing the values and standards God calls us to follow and investing in alignment with those expectations. When setting your financial goals, consider whether each goal aligns with God’s ultimate plan. What matters to God? How are you investing to support those priorities?
Do Your Due Diligence
“For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’” – Luke 14:28-30, ESV
Foolish investors don’t consider crucial data before making a decision. Wise, God-honoring stewards seek data, godly counsel, and pray to ask God to reveal the best investment decision. Doing your due diligence as an investor is a key element of stewardship. How are you stewarding the market data, investor pitch decks, comps, or other data points in each investment opportunity? Technical data is only part of the equation though. How is the company operated? What are the characteristics and reputation of those with whom you might invest? What are the potential implications of you investing in a specific opportunity? Good evidence is what can empower you as a Christian investor to make a wise decision.
Reduce Risk and Diversify Your Investments
“Give a portion to seven, or even to eight, for you know not what disaster may happen on earth.” – Ecclesiastes 11:2, ESV
Unnecessary risk is equivalent to foolishness. It is far wiser and more biblical to diversify your investments in the event of tragedy. Having multiple investment properties instead of one significant property can be a wise way to diversify your risk. If you’re solely invested in the stock market, that is a common risk. What happens when the market takes a tumble? What do you do if all your investment eggs are all in the same proverbial ‘basket’?
Diversifying your investments is one of the wisest decisions you may ever make. There is little harm in diversifying your portfolio compared to overextending your risk with a single type of investment.
Give Back To Your Community Through Financial Abundance
“Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and He will repay him for his deed.” – Proverbs 19:17, ESV
Generosity echoes the heartbeat of God. It is a tremendous blessing to give back to your local church, community, and causes around the world. If your financial advisor is a Christian, he or she can help you identify good strategies for contributing more to the faith causes that matter to you without accruing a larger tax bill.
Giving back to your community is a powerful experience, and in many cases, the giver is the one who feels more blessed. It’s the feeling of seeing faces smile at the new possibilities. It’s the impact of lives changed because of your generosity. It’s the comfort of knowing you helped further fund what God is doing in your community. That alone is worth the gift!
Christian Retirement Planning
“A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.” – Proverbs 28:20, ESV
A closely related, if not synonymous term for Christian financial planning is Christian retirement planning. However, there is a greater emphasis on the financial goal of retirement with Christian retirement planning.
As with regular financial planning, retirement is a key priority for many investors when it comes to Christian retirement planning. What’s different? Layered over the goal of retirement is the divine calling of God on every season of your life. What does God want you to do in retirement? What work or cause is He wanting you to pursue and where does He want you to serve when your business or job is no longer needed?
Christian retirement planning considers how your key accounts, like your IRAs, 401k, investment properties, or other portfolio pieces can empower you to pursue the next venture. Is there an orphanage you’re called to plant? Is there a midway house where troubled teens need a loving parental figure? Is there an alternatives pregnancy clinic where scared soon-to-be teen moms need someone to help them fight for their baby’s life?
All of those opportunities are much easier to focus on if money is not an issue for you.
Get Started Financial Planning for Christians Today
Are you ready to take the next step with Christian financial planning? You likely already have a portfolio in place with an IRA or some type of employer-matched retirement plan through your job or business. What if there’s even more than you ever imagined with faith-based investing?
You’re invited to experience our upcoming training “Real Estate God’s Way”. There is no cost to attend, and you will be amazed, inspired, and ready to see what God can do through your financial situation. Save your seat by registering for “Real Estate God’s Way” here.
