The Scary Bushes
Read Times / 2 Minutes
Theme / Biblical Investing
I always crossed the street to avoid them because they scared me. The bushes, devoid of leaves and full of entangled branches, looked like a large black octopus ready to snatch any unsuspecting fourth grader that walked by. The winter’s early darkness magnified my fear as I trekked from home to basketball practice each evening in northern Idaho. The darkened front porch on the early nineteenth-century home behind the bushes added to my concern.
There are many reasons to cross a street, some legitimate and some not. For me, I crossed the street to avoid evil, whether real or imagined. There is a bigger life-lesson here for us since Scripture encourages us to “turn away from evil and do good” (1 Peter 3:11). Applying this to the area of investments, there are many opportunities to invest in companies, either directly or through mutual funds, that are making a positive impact in the world, instead of a negative impact.
There are companies that strive to benefit humanity: they serve customers well, treat employees fairly, improve communities, work with ethical suppliers, care for the environment, and aid society with their products. However, there are companies that are doing a disservice to the world by not promoting traditional family values, the sanctity of life, and sexual purity. We should be investing in the former and not the latter.
Imagine my surprise one evening when I arrived home after basketball practice, having successfully navigated a circumspect route around the bushes, and my mom told me we were moving down the street to a certain house she described. Fear instantly overtook me as I realized we were moving into the house with the scary bushes!
The story has a happy ending. After we moved in, I helped my dad cut down the scary bushes, bringing me emotional relief. Likewise, we can experience peace as we invest if we seek to “do good” and “turn away from evil” in our investments. It will bring us even more satisfaction than the vanquishing of scary bushes!
Doug Hanson, MBA
Wealth Advisor
(208) 697-3699
doug@christianmwm.com