Life-Enriching Investment Principles

The beginning of a new year brings the opportunity to set a new direction for our lives. In this article we will look at five investment principles from Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 which have application in numerous areas of our lives. However, our focus in this article is how these principles can bring dividends in our relationships.

Ecclesiastes was written by Solomon, renown as one of the wisest people to have ever lived. His first principle in verse 1 is to “cast your bread on the surface of the waters for you will find it after many days” (NASB). This is the principle of giving or investing. Some people think that the image is of literally casting bread onto a lake or sea, and receiving bread from other sources in return. Others see it as a figurative economic image of sending your goods to market on a ship, and receiving compensation from them when the ship returns. The principle is the same, either way. If money is kept in a sack in the house and not used, it will not grow nor bring returns. If a person has talents, but never uses them to benefit others, those talents never bring any results. If we wish to impact other people, we must take some risk and invest something of ourselves into them.

Solomon also states that we should diversify our investments. In verse 2 he says, “divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.” Financial planners lead people to invest some resources in stocks, some in bonds, some in savings, etc., so that if one sector of the economy falters, another might be doing well.

Diversification is a solid principle in most areas of our lives. People who only have one trusted friend are severely devastated should that person die, or leave. People with only one hobby find their life empty if something prohibits participation in that hobby. We need to invest our resources in more than one type of program or product, or more than one trainee or disciple, for if one fails, others may succeed. An old saying regarding diversification is “do not put all your eggs into one basket.”

A third principle is that actions bring consequences (see vs. 3). If the clouds are full, rain will fall; once a tree has been cut down, there it remains. So it is important to plan with a view towards consequences. It takes accumulation of water droplets into clouds in order for the clouds to later release those droplets onto our crops. If we never invest ourselves into others, then it will be unlikely that they will be there for us when we need them.

The second aspect of this verse is not to cry over spilt milk or fallen trees. Once a tree has fallen towards the North, it is ridiculous to spend the rest of your life bemoaning that fact, or wishing it had fallen towards the South. Go on to another tree or a new challenge. Don’t let past failures ruin your future.

Solomon’s fourth principle is: don’t let imperfect circumstances prevent you from participating (see verse 4). Life is not perfect. If a person waits for totally perfect conditions before planting the crops, the crops will never get planted. Some people will use any excuse not to get started on something. We once knew a guy who was in his early 40’s and still single. He could never find a girl “perfect enough” for him. One time he thought he had found her, but then later broke it off. When asked why, he replied: “I finally realized that her nose was too big.” I have not heard from the fellow in many years, but the last time I saw him, he was still single. Waiting for a literally “perfect” person leaves you alone and single; waiting for a perfect job before taking employment leaves you unemployed. Waiting for the perfect “anything” will leave you with perfectly nothing.

The last principle is to always be active investing your life. Invest in the morning and in the evening (verse 6). You never know which one will produce a return. I know a salesman who is selling everywhere he goes. He doesn’t just talk to those who have an appointment with him; he is planting “sales” seeds all the time. Invest your life in all kinds of people. You never know when they will in turn bless your life. I hope that these principles stimulate wise investment of your life in 2007.