Invest

I was very surprised to read that 49.5 percent of all U.S. households own individual stocks or stock mutual funds.  At first I was very proud to hear that in spite of Dave Ramsey's robust rantings about our financial foolishness, we have been saving and investing and not blowing our money on the latest installment of Guitar Hero.  

I was about to give the "Great Ramsey" a call, exposing him as a false prophet of our moronic money handling, when the next sentence in the article caused me to put the phone down.  The article stated that the majority of investments made by Americans were not voluntary and were instead made by their company as part of a salary package, 401K contribution, or other benefits package.  The actual percentage of Americans who voluntarily invest is 14 - 20 percent.

(In the spirit of George Barna, I was first tempted to manipulate this raw data to position myself as a radical rebuker of the "church" and its influence on culture, while capitalizing on the opportunity by selling books and going on speaking tours.  But that seems a little too apathetic and arrogant for a simple man like myself.)

I'm not sure what the numbers mean, but it did cause me to ask myself some questions.  How much of my life is preparation for the future?  How many opportunities do I take to invest time and resources into the relationships that mean the most to me?  Do I consider investing as an integral part of being a "whole" person?

The Hebrew word gemilt khasadim seems to more accurately paint a picture of the true spirit of investing.  It's where we get the word lovingkindness from and it means to exert oneself on behalf of others, whenever possible.  

I'm not sure how much I live like this.  I guess I'm more of a casual investor.  It would be a stretch to say that I exert myself for the betterment of mankind on a consistent basis.  I care, pray, and take opportunity to bless those around me but it seems to come more naturally, and not a disciplined act of exertion.  But I'm not ok with this.  As much as I want to live life in the moment, I also want those moments to enrich the lives of others around me.

So this Christmas, and throughout the new year, I'm deciding to become more intentional and deliberate to love others as I love myself... simple humanity.  I bless you to enjoy life, live it the full, and to invest in the lives of others around you.