People seek out a wealth advisor for many reasons. In the case of a recent new client, a couple had made a substantial investment in something that turned out to be a scam. When the wife first called me, she was distraught, fearing that they would be financially destitute.
I could have focused on the numbers, but I heard the Holy Spirit whisper, you need to tell her who their provider is. It’s not their 401k. It’s not their IRA. It’s not this investment they thought would secure their financial future.
And so I told her:
“God is your provider. He’s the multiplier. You be faithful with what you have, no matter how much or how little, and he will multiply it.”
That may seem like a crazy thing for a wealth advisor to say, but it’s the foundation on which we operate.
God’s love language is obedience. He wants us to steward with excellence what we have in our hand, whatever that is, and trust him to multiply it in his time.
The wife calmed down and we set a time for me to meet with her and her husband, where I learned that the situation was not as dire as she had made it seem. Yes, they’d lost a lot of money and had a huge tax bill to pay. But they both had their health. They had their experiences, their training, their skills. The husband had a job that generated a great income. They had a home and family. They were wealthier than they realized.
Of course, it was much easier for me as an outsider to see this than it was for them to recognize it as they were reeling from having so much money essentially stolen from them. But once they saw it, they were able to shift from doom and gloom to faith and hopefulness.
Where focus goes, energy flows, and this couple is now putting their energy into growing what they have, not bemoaning what they don’t.
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:11-13, NIV)
The lesson in this situation is simple:
You are your biggest asset. You are your biggest wealth creation tool.
You might think your biggest asset is your home, other real estate, your business, or your investments, but it’s not. Your biggest asset is what is going to yield the most production, be the most fruitful—and that’s you. You create your income using your knowledge and experience.
In all aspects of life, we’re going to make mistakes. We’re going to have setbacks. But when we’re obedient to Christ, when we practice faithful stewardship in everything, we’ll recover and build the life God intended for us.
We need to steward whatever we have, and we usually have more than we think we do. Whether it’s a job, an investment, our home, our marriage, being a parent, our influence, our talents—whatever it is, we need to be obedient to God and steward his gifts and resources with excellence. He is the multiplier. He turned the small basket of loaves and fishes into enough food for thousands and he will take care of you.
Money should never be your goal. Yes, it’s a necessity. We need money to live. But I believe money is a byproduct of a job well done. If we focus on obedience, if we are good stewards and faithful in all things big and small, God will provide the abundance he wants us to have.
