Something Unique To Be Thankful For
Read Time / 2 Minutes
Theme / Biblically Responsible Investing
In addition to being thankful for a roof over our head, for food on the table, and for friends and family, there is a unique way that we can express our thanks to the Lord this Thanksgiving. Let’s turn to a story in the Bible to find out.
One out of ten isn’t a very high percentage, but that’s what Jesus was dealing with. In Luke 14, we read of ten lepers who approached Jesus for healing, but He simply responded, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” It may not have been the answer they were looking for, but they went anyway. Then it happened, “as they went, they were cleansed.” At that point, they each had a decision to make – what to do with the newfound healing? It is unclear what nine of them decided to do. Did they continue to the priests to be declared clean? Did they hurry home to their family and friends to show themselves healed?
Instead, Scripture highlights the tenth leper, identified as a Samaritan. We read that he returned “and fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving thanks to him.” The Samaritan didn’t follow the crowd, rather, he chose to return and follow Jesus. As a result, Jesus’ final words to the Samaritan may have indicated a deeper type of healing, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”
The Samaritan’s willingness to forgo following others and decide to return and give thanks to God should cause each of us to pause. He went against the grain and took the opportunity that others did not. In a similar vein, we have an opportunity today that hasn’t existed until the last thirty years. During this time, we have seen a rise in investment firms that specialize in investments that honor God. These investment firms choose to invest in companies that implicitly or explicitly seek to uphold biblical truths. So today, we can return thanks to God through our investments.
For a unique Thanksgiving, let’s be thankful that we can invest in ways that bring glory and honor back to the Lord. Let’s be like the Samaritan and not follow the typical investment crowd, but rather, let’s choose to turn back to Jesus and decide to thank him through our investments. It may even lead to a deeper sense of well-being.
Doug Hanson, MBA
Wealth Advisor
208.697.3699
doug@christianwm.com
