"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.
No comments:
Post a Comment