The dream of many is to put their money to work for them via the generation of passive income from investments instead of them working for money .
Did you know that the bible addresses investing? Even tells you where and how to invest? The bible also addresses whether or not to leave a legacy to your children.
A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.
Proverbs 13:22
The wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just. This wealth is laid up for us (as those who are justified in Christ).
For us to benefit from the wealth laid up for us, we need to know where the sinners have laid up their wealth.
Here are five places where the sinners have laid up their wealth.
Stock Market
Read Matthew 25:14-30
The faithful servants “went and traded” (v15) and earned double their original investment “after a long time” (v19).
Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents
Matthew 25:15
After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them
Matthew 25:19
A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent … He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him.
Proverbs 28:20-22
It is not about “getting rich quick” by gambling, it is about investing for the long term and getting a return over time.
Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
Matthew 25:27
We call the stock market the “exchange” where people go to “trade” stocks. Investing in companies means you buy a share of that company and become a partner in its growth and success. The shares grow in value and pay dividends (usury).
Investing in stocks is a long term activity. The best stocks to consider are dividend growth stocks, companies that consistently increase their dividend every year.
According to the “Rule of 72” the amount invested will double approximately the number of years found by dividing 72 by the rate of return. For example at an 8% rate of return takes nine years to double: 72 / 8 = 9 years.
The other consideration is to diversify across multiple sectors, regions, classifications, etc. If tracking individuals stocks is not for you, then consider funds such as Exchange Traded Funds (ETF), Mutual Funds, and/or Closed End Funds (CEFs) with low expense ratios, steady growth, and consistent dividends.
Bonds
For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee.
Deuteronomy 15:6
The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.
Deuteronomy 28:12
A bond is lending money to a corporation or government. We can “lend to many nations” by buying bonds. There are many types of bonds from corporate, municipal, to those offered by many national governments.
Bonds are typically viewed as safer, less volatile, alternatives to stocks and currently have a better return than bank products such as money market accounts and CDs.
Municipal bonds loan money to a city government and the interest they return is typically exempt from federal taxes. If you hold bonds in a taxable account, these are the best type to have.
The interest from other types of bonds is typically taxable and best held in a tax advantaged account such as IRA, 401k, etc.
Rather than the headache of individual bonds, is easier, safer, and more diversified to invest in bond funds (ie: ETFs, CEFs).
Real Estate
Everyone is involved in real estate in one form or another. Even if you rent and don’t own any property, you are still living somewhere and participating in real estate.
And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for an hundred pieces of money.
Genesis 33:19
The first way most people are involved in real estate is owning their own home. Owning your own home gives you a place to live while building equity in a piece of real estate. Owning your own home is a good way to build equity and preserve some of the money you would otherwise loose in renting, however home ownership should not be considered your only investment or even your “biggest investment”. Your home costs a lot to keep and maintain. For something to truly be an “investment” it needs to put money into your pocket, whereas liabilities take money out of your pocket.
She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
Proverbs 31:6
Another way to be involved in real estate is owning property that is productive in some way, such as farming, gardening, running livestock, growing hay, leasing for hunting, leasing for oil production, etc.
Rental property is the most common thing people think of when they think of investing in real estate.
Other ways you can profit from real estate investing without having to manage the property yourself is by Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). There are public REITs traded on the stock market or in funds. There are also private REITs that pool money from investors and invest in real estate but are insulated from the stock market volatility.
Commodities
Read Genesis 41 and Genesis 47:13-26
And the famine was over all the face of the earth: and Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt.
Genesis 41:56
Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate.
Genesis 47:19
The crops stored up over the years of plenty were the commodities that became so valuable during the years of famine that people gave everything they had, even selling themselves into servitude to get food.
When people hear commodities in relation to investing, they may first think of the “commodities market”. There is indeed a great wealth in the commodities market but it is the most volatile and risky of the investments. It is not recommended to get into the commodities market unless you really know what you are doing, and even then with only a small percentage of your dollars available for investment.
You can also get involved in commodities by investing the logistics services behind the commodities. For example Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) that get money from the transportation of oil and petroleum products.
Another way to get involved in commodities is investment in tangible things that have inherent value that you own, hold, and trade directly. Some examples may include livestock (cattle, goats, chickens), farm and garden products (meat, eggs, milk, fruit, vegetables), precious metals (gold, silver), and not to forget guns and ammunition.
All these things are good stores of value. Other investments depend on the the stability of the economic system, but having a portion of your wealth stored up in personally owned commodities are a hedge against even the worst economic conditions.
Your Skills and Abilities
The fifth area for investment is investing in yourself. Gaining new skills and developing existing skills should be your first priority, especially early on.
Your skills and work ethic will determine your income.
Your income is your greatest tool that will benefit you the rest of your life.
It is from your income that you seed your investments.
For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
2 Thess 3:10
There is no way around having to work. The true key to passive income from investing is to first faithfully and regularly seed those investments out of your income from working.
Your income will provide you with money that you can put to work in productive investments.