11. Finding God's Purpose in the Financial Trading Marketplace 3 - Kingdom Building & Conclusion

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." ...Matthew 5:13-16  

We have discussed in my previous post Finding God's Purpose in the Financial Trading Marketplace - Kingdom Transformation, that God's main purpose in the financial trading marketplace is the extension of His Kingdom in the financial marketplace. God not only wanted to extend His Kingdom in the marketplace, but to all nation, reaching out to the corners of the earth to build His Kingdom. In order to do that, God's resources generated from the financial trading marketplace can be channeled into the other part for His great Kingdom Building plan. In the "Parable of the Bags of Gold" (Matthew 25:14-30), Jesus shared about the three men who were each given a bag of gold (with different amount of gold in each case).  The bags of gold symbolize gift or talents God gave us so generously. Although the parable is telling us to invest the talents or gifts given to us for His kingdom, it is also saying whatever belongs to God, will be returned to our Master in Heaven. God has the plan to prosper you (Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans for you...to proper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."), however we need to be aware that God's plan is to serve His purpose, not ours on earth. and the profits from our investments should be returned to Him for His purpose.

 

So, are we doing enough with the gifts and talents God have given us in the marketplace? 

 

Different people is given different gift and there is one that most of us is able to do by God's grace, that is giving. For those who are blessed abundantly from the financial marketplace, you are given the gift to gain from the financial marketplace and the gift of giving to the needy. As stated by Paul in Romans 12:6 "We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us,....if it is giving, then give generously,...". But rest assured, God will not give anyone of us the gift of giving if He does not give us the gift of making money. But the question is what are we doing with God's resources? Is His resources being used effectively for His purpose or for our earthly pleasure? 

 

Exodus 4:17 says "But take this staff in your hand so you can perform the signs with it". God have given each one of us a staff in our hand. In our context, it is the talent to gain from financial trading or investment. Moses miraculously turned the Nile into a river of blood, and parted the Red Sea with his staff by simply obeying God. It is only through yielding to God's command that He is able to do great things with the staff given to us. Have you given the staff for God's purpose in Kingdom Building? 

 

Matthew 5:13-16 says "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."  If God's purpose of creation (see previous post on Finding God's Purpose in Financial Trading Marketplace - Kingdom Transformation), is to bring everything He created under His Son, Jesus Christ, then we were tasked to be "Salt and Light" of Jesus. Do not hide your talent under the bowl where no want is able to see the light of Christ. See that the saltiness in you is able to bring flavor to those who need it. Otherwise, you are wasting your talent given by the grace of our Heavenly Father. Proverbs 3:9 says "Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops". Honor God and give your wealth to the needy, for Kingdom building and be the salt and light of Jesus Christ. 

 

Matthew 5:13-16 apparently is also the objective of GiFT Ministry, which I hope those brothers and sisters in the trading marketplace who are also driven by the Spirit to serve the same purpose would join God at work in the financial trading marketplace. God is calling, are you willing to join Him!

 

Conclusion

God has commanded us to invest the resources and talents given to us and expected the resources plus the profits to be returned to Him for His purpose. The financial trading market allows us to do that in a fair environment without being controlled by individuals who are driven by greed. God does this for all those who loves Him. However, God did this, not only for us, but for His purpose, to bring His Kingdom onto earth. We are all commissioned to share the gospel to the corners of the earth, especially the marketplace where most of us spend majority of our time in. We are commissioned to make disciples and teach them to obey His Words so that the demons can be driven out of the marketplace. Finally, we are told to be "Salt & Light" of Christ by honoring God with the fruits we gained from financial trading and investment. Being the light of Christ by doing good deeds and allow all to see the glory of our Father in Heaven. These, I believed are God's purpose in the financial trading marketplace. 

10. Finding God's Purpose in the Financial Trading Marketplace 2 - Kingdom Transformation

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And sure I am with you always, to the very end of the age."...Matthew 28:19-20 

Is protecting those He loves the main purpose? 

 

I would like to look at it in God's perspective and thought the question can be answered from the original purpose of creation, for everything we experience in the pass, in the present and in the future started from creation. The bible did not give a direct answer to this question. Some says it is to glorify God himself, but I found the best answer in this article by Ernie and Mary Kroeger on "God's Purpose for All Creation". The answer is found in Ephesians 1:9-10 where apostle Paul gave us a rare insight into God's wonderful plan - "....with all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect the times reach their fulfillment - to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.". Ernie and Mary Kroeger explained that God's will and plan for creation has been a mystery to us because we did not know the future. A mystery has a hidden answer, but it remains a mystery until the answer is revealed to us. Here we have the answer: "...to bring unity to ALL THINGS...under Christ".   It is reaffirmed in Philippians 2:9-11.. "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that all the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

 

 

How then can this purpose be fulfilled other then the great commission to extend His Kingdom to all nations commanded by Jesus Christ in Matthew 28:19-20 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And sure I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

 

Surely God has a purpose for investors or traders in the financial marketplace just like God has a purpose for every entrepreneur. The point is whether Christian financial investors/traders in the trading marketplace, like Christian entrepreneurs, are able to identify that purpose using their influence in the marketplace to change the world and most importantly to fulfill the great commission, to extend His Kingdom to all nations on earth. 

 

For those who are in the financial trading marketplace, are we doing enough to answer the most important call from our Lord, Jesus? 

 

In the book "Anointed for Business" Ed Silvoso said "To be anointed for business is to be set aside by God for service in the marketplace. Once anointed, we are to use our ob as a ministry vehicle to transform the marketplace so that the gospel will be preached to, and heard by, every creature in our sphere of influence.".  Christians who are placed in the financial trading marketplace, God placed us in where we are now is not just to make a living, we are called to use our influence as gifted traders or investors, brokers, financial analyst, wealth mangers to reach out to the unreached. Transforming the current spiritual desert of the financial marketplace into God's kingdom. Many of us, including myself, find it difficult and uncomfortable to live a secured life in a secular world. Those with influencing power and talent due to their God given gift in the financial world has the greatest opportunity to do so. But many find it most difficult with the fear of loosing his or her reputation or with the possibility of loosing their customers. Some financial marketplace Christians might even avoid being involved in any kind of marketplace outreach given the opportunity to do so. Here you are, the answer to your question of God's purpose in the financial trading place, now are you willing to join in God's work to fulfill the purpose given the fact that you are already in the middle of His office?

If your answer is still no, then what are the reasons of your reluctance? This leads to the question we have to answer ourselves, is it God's Kingdom that we are extending or our kingdom of wealth that we are expanding through the God-given talent of trading or entrepreneurship? 

 

Jesus in Matthew 6:20 said "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal". And for treasures, Jesus said in Matthew 13:44 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasures hidden in a field....". Are we constantly seeking to build up the kingdom of heaven in the marketplace or building our earthly treasures from the marketplace? Are we constantly looking out for how God is working in the marketplace and how we can join Him in His work, even better if we consciously make our trades a tool to serve God's purpose? Or are we only interested in drawing out whatever we can to satisfy our greed and personal materialistic gain or wealth status from the financial trading marketplace where God created for His purpose?   Maybe Matthew 6:21 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" will help us to understand your position and where you stand in identifying God's purpose in the financial trading marketplace.

 

Jesus said to the rich man who asked Him what he can do to get eternal life in Matthew 19:23-24 "Truely I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." I believe this applies to some of us who has a certain status in the marketplace and unwilling to let go the "rich" reputation of the position they are holding. 

 

This is exactly how the demons wanted us to feel and act. He wanted Christians to compartmentalize our time between the secular and secured world, reserving only Sundays for God. This attitude gave the demon a huge chunk of opportunity and time to contaminate the financial world with sin.  The result is the demons winning in the financial world. The most obvious outcome was shown in the 2008 sub-prime financial crises which wiped out billions of dollars from the market, making thousands of innocent people loosing their savings, their jobs and their homes. Are you prepared to give up your reputation for the kingdom of heaven? If you are those who restrict your service within church premise and have the Sunday Christian mindset, think again for Paul and all the other disciples of Jesus Christ did not spend their lives giving sermons in church but risk their lives in the marketplace to extend His kingdom. So, are you willing to join force with like-minded marketplace Christians to do His work in the financial marketplace? The key point is that we all are strategically placed by our Creator in the financial marketplace, and we are called to minister in those places for His purpose...the great commission of making disciples! 

9. Finding God's Purpose in the Financial Trading Marketplace 1 - Protect Those He Loves

"And we know that all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose"...Romans 8:28

 

We have now come to the core of our whole discussion on God in Financial Trading Marketplace, which is the God's purpose in the financial trading marketplace. I am sure everyone of us have a reason why we have taken up financial trading or financial investor as a career or why we took up hours in a week analyzing technical charts, keeping updated with economic trends and news or investigating companies fundamentals. Some of us,like myself ,may be doing this to earn a living,  some may be doing it to earn a passive income while having a full time job, some may be doing it because you are doing what you like to do, some may be doing it thinking you can have a good life and have a early retirement. Whatever the reasons, have you ever thought of God's purpose in the financial trading marketplace? 

 

Like most of us, the life of a financial trader consists of many ups and downs just like the stock market. It was one of those series of consecutive downs that strike me thinking God's will for me in financial trading. I asked myself if earning money the main reason? Is there a divine purpose other then earning a living? It was when I was studying "Experiencing God" by Henry & Richard Blackaby that I noticed that asking for God's will for me was not the right question. The proper question should be, "What is God's will?". Using God's gift of logical thinking, I started off searching for an answer if financial trading is something God approved in the first place. The answer was explained in my first few post on "Role of a Trader", "Is Trading Sin?" and went to some extend trying to answer the question "Is Trading Gambling?". The research clarify my thoughts and opinion on financial trading. There is perfectly nothing wrong or sinful in financial trading. Just like money which is not a sin by itself, it is the love of money that is evil as stated in 1 Timothy 6:10. In fact God has instructed us to invest in Luke 19:13-27..."Actively invest or trade until I come". 

 

God has approved financial trading and investment, but He also knew that the financial marketplace must function fairly so that those who obeyed God to invest their money in the financial market like stock market are protected from the monopoly control of price. The same reason why God gave Moses the 10 Commandments to the Israelites that is to protect His people knowing the Israelites would fall short in their walk with God. However Romans 8:28 says..."And we know that all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose". Thus, I can concluded that one of the God's purpose in financial trading is protect the retail investors like most of us so that there is a fare market where investors are able to purchase stocks or currencies at fair price not manipulated by a single or a handful of big dealers in the market. Knowing the sinful nature of man, He placed people in the financial marketplace to create a financial system that is fair and manage it so that it is stable for the global economy to function effectively. The most fundamental purpose of financial trading is to protect those He loves and the reason is because He loves us. 

 

The next obvious question that most of us would ask is .."Then why are there so many financial crises caused by men's greed in the financial marketplace?" The most recent in 2008 which wiped out billions of dollars from the financial market, causing many to loose their life savings and retirement funds. The first answer to the question of God's purpose in financial trading will not be complete if do not attempt to answer this doubt.

 

It all started with God's gift of freedom of choice to man.  He did not create robots. He created human beings not only with emotions and feelings, but God also gives human the power of logical thinking and the freedom of choice. Every suffering that we experience in our life, all started from the Fall of man.  Man were given the choice to obey or disobey. Obedience leads to life and disobedience leads to death. Those men and women that God placed in the financial marketplace chose to disobey because of the sin of greed and the love of money.  They have turned something that God designed to be good into something evil for their selfish desire.  It is very easy to blame God whenever something bad happens in our life. But it is in such time that God is able to separate the goats from the sheep. It is in crises that our faith is tested and polished. It is through bad times that we are made small and Christ made big. These are God's purpose in the financial trading marketplace. The only way to overcome this endless war with sin is through the great commission of Jesus Christ.