“Handkerchief” Non-Investing

Read Time - 2 Minutes

I carry my handkerchief in the back-left pocket of my pants.  My wife and children aren’t keen on the idea themselves, but they tolerate Dad carrying one.  It comes in handy, but it always returns to my back-left pocket.  It’s there when I need it, but it’s never going to do more for me than it does. 

I carry my wallet in the back-right pocket of my pants.  Like the handkerchief, it comes in handy, but in many more ways.  I always return it to my back-right pocket, but only after I’ve given or received something from it.  Overall, my wallet does far more than my handkerchief.

Jesus told a story about a handkerchief in Luke 19:11-27, and, unfortunately, the handkerchief was a problem.  In the story, a nobleman was going on a trip and gave his servants money to “do business until I come.”  Upon his return, two servants returned to the nobleman more than he had given them, having invested the money while the nobleman was gone.  

Then came the fearful servant, who kept the noblemen’s money in a handkerchief, returning to the nobleman only the original amount.  The nobleman was not pleased (to put it mildly) and told the servant that he should have at least put it in the bank to earn interest.   

As is true of all Scripture, there is a lesson here for us.  Let’s not keep wealth God has blessed us with in a handkerchief.  Let’s move it to the back-right pocket and “do business” for the Lord.  We don’t know how long the nobleman was gone, but whatever the duration, the servants put the money to work.  Let’s do the same with what God has entrusted to us and invest the money for His glory during the time He has given us.

Doug Hanson, MBA

Wealth Advisor