What Bears, Wolves, and Bison Teach Us About Investing Proverbs 4:26

Aug 29

**Read Time / 2 Minutes**

**Theme / Biblically Responsible Investing**

The card said, “Give Wildlife Space.” We were visiting a national park in Canada for our fortieth wedding anniversary and stopped into a visitor center to plan our visit. The fold-over card was clever, visually showing us how much distance to give different animals we may encounter. Bears, wolves, coyotes, cougars and bison were 100 meters, equivalent to the length of 10 buses. And, when holding the card at arm’s length, it showed a picture of how large the animal should look. I measured the picture, and the entire animal should look less than 1 inch wide and less than ½ inch tall. I concluded that we should stay far away from any ours, loups, coyotes, cougars et bisons (the card was in French too).

Those are wise words when hiking in a Canadian National Park, but they aren’t words of wisdom for investing. We should keep a safe distance from wild animals, but not from our investments. Rather, think of investing like watching your step as you walk on a rocky hiking path. We should be close to our investments. By close, I mean we should know what we are investing in, especially from a moral perspective. Do the companies you invest in reflect your morals in the products and services they produce? Don’t stay far from your investments, move closer and find out what you are invested in.

In Scripture we read, “Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways” (Proverbs 4:26). Let’s analyze the investment path we are on and be steadfast even in our investments, while continuing to enjoy God’s creations, but at a distance! The good news is that you can get to within 30 meters of elk, deer, sheep, goats, and moose (equivalent to the length of 3 buses). Enjoy!

Doug Hanson, MBA

Wealth Advisor

208.697.3699

doug@christianwm.com