(The following is an abbreviated transcription from a video Linda and I recorded. Please excuse any typos or errors.)
I received a question from a member of our SeedTime community that I wanted to share. The gist of it is this, should I just have everything in cash because the world is going to come to an end? And whatever end of the world scenario you can throw in there. Jesus is coming back. Here is what was sent to me, the question was this:
“Hey Bob, love reading your stuff right now. The world seems to be going to hell in a hand basket, even though I know God’s in control. Right now, I don’t know if investing is a good idea, because it seems as if the government’s going to confiscate everything. I’m not really conspiracy theorist, but the writing seems to be on the wall. I’m just wondering if having cash would be better to prepare for this craziness. I do trust God to provide no matter what goes down, but I want to be wise with my money. What are your thoughts on that?”
Now before we get into our answer, I recorded our discussion that you can listen to on our Podcast, or you can opt to watch the video we recorded of our conversation on our Instagram account.
But, if you would rather read the full transcription, you can do so here in this article!
Enjoy.
Would having cash be a wiser option to investing during times like these?
Bob: It is a great question.
Linda: And I’m glad that this person is seeking out what to do.
Bob: Yeah.
Linda: Cause it is true. It does look like the world is going to hell in a hand basket.
Bob: Yeah. And I think it’s really easy to feel like this, and it’s really easy to get freaked out.
Linda: Yeah.
The media’s role and their angle
Bob: I think the important thing to remember here is that the media and pretty much everything that we see in terms of news (regardless of the kind of political angle of things), that at the end of the day, they make money by getting our attention. And nothing captures attention more than fear, than a tragedy. Then things like this.
This is why the news is so dominated with things of this nature.
Opinions vs facts
Linda: Let’s also talk about how polarized people feel. And I have people in my circle of influence who are Christians loved the Lord. Some of them are huge Biden supporters and huge supporters of everything that he is doing in the white house.
And some of them are completely against Biden and only want Trump. They want Trump back in the office and you know, all this stuff, and these are both Christians coming out of it. And it’s really hard to know what is actually going on because people’s opinions are getting so mixed in. And it’s no longer a whole lot of facts and it’s a whole lot of opinion, and this is coming from media, but I think it’s also coming from just people around us.
Bob: The people around us. Yeah.
Linda: Yeah.
Don’t be afraid, for it is wise to prepare!
Bob: So anyway, all that to say, there’s a lot of fear. There’s a lot of reasons to be afraid if you listen to everything that’s going on the outside. And I do think, I’ve been called a prepper by some people, you know, we are preparing for situations. And I think there’s wisdom in that.
Joseph’s obedience to God
Look at what Joseph did in the seven years. He was given a heads up by God that, alright, something’s coming down the pike, you’re going to have this massive famine. You’ve got seven good years. Take advantage of it, save it up for that time. And because Joseph did that. Not only was he taken care of and his family taken care of, but probably tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of lives were saved because of that proactive move that he made. Because they were able to feed Egypt and then even sell grain and stuff to other surrounding countries.
The direction of the economy
Linda: Right. And there’s a place to listen to people who are looking at the way the economy is going, it’s headed in this direction, right? Like there’s a place to just hear that information and just take it in as information of not something to entirely base all of your decisions on. But just see that side of it.
Bob: Yeah.
Linda: Right?
Preparing for bad situations is wise
Bob: Yeah. And so I guess my point is, yes, preparing for bad situations is wise. I think there’s a lot of wisdom in that. But I think if you find yourself getting to the point where you’re too confident in the negative thing happening, I think that’s where you’re getting in a dangerous situation. Because you’re putting more faith in the doom’s day report than God.
Mans ability to adapt
I’m not saying you should put your faith in this, but even man’s ability to adapt. Which is another thing that I think is really important to consider. There’s just been so many situations with humankind where ” we are headed down a really bad situation.”
And in two years whatever the earths going to explode or what whatever. Florida’s going to be covered in water, or whatever the situation is. But that doesn’t take into account man’s ability to adapt and create new technologies and to solve the problem one or the other.
What is God going to do?
And then obviously the biggest and most important one is what is God going to do in this whole equation?
The balanced approach
My point is, I think a balanced approach is the best way to go. So yes, be wise, you know, save up some money for worst case scenario. Have some cash on hand. Or if you want to buy gold, have some gold, whatever your thing may be. But also consider the possibility that life just might go on for another 20-30 years without as much craziness as it looks like might happen (check out our 10X investing course).
Linda: Right.
Bob: And, I think there’s a decent, there’s a fair chance that that could happen. You know, that 20-30 years from now you get down the line and it’s like, wow a lot of that craziness that I thought might happen didn’t happen.
And I’m really glad that I put some money in a Roth IRA to save for retirement.
Linda: Right.
Bob: You know, because I thought Jesus was going to come back in 2022.
Don’t make decisions based on fear
Linda: The other thing here is I don’t like making decisions based off of I’m afraid so I’m going to do this. I don’t feel like that is how God does things. I think he leads us in peace.
All right. Instead of doing that, we’re just going to go this way. And it’s not something that you have to feel freaked out about.
Bob: Yup.
A heads-up from God (nudge of the Holy Spirit)
Linda: We’ve had this happen actually a couple of times where I felt like there was sort of a little bit of a warning from God for something that could possibly happen.
And it was something I could tell it was the Lord because it was something that I would typically get really afraid of, but I wasn’t afraid.
Bob: Yeah.
Linda: Do you know what I mean?
Bob: It was just like a heads up. It was like the holy spirit, just communicating something to you.
Linda: Right. So, I think that if you’re trying to make these decisions, because you’re super freaked out about something, I don’t think that that’s necessarily the Lord leading you to do it.
The first step: Go to God
Bob: Yeah, and I think you need to go to God in prayer about that.
Linda: I don’t think that’s a great way to make decisions.
Bob: Yeah, but if you’re feeling freaked out about this stuff, I think that is the first step. Go to God, talk to him about it.
Fixing your eyes on Jesus
Linda: Also, this is what I always come back to turn your eyes upon Jesus look full in his wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.
And When we are looking too much at the world going to hell in a hand basket, which let’s be real, I think especially since this pandemic started. This is where I could feel like this is what most people are looking at. There’s been so much that has happened with the economy, racially, with our health. I mean, in so many areas. Financially. That it is easy to just be looking at those things.
And when we just go back and put our eyes on God, put our eyes on Jesus, start worshiping him, thanking him for what he has already done. For the faithfulness over thousands of generations. Then we suddenly, all this stuff kind of fades into the background and we can see who we are as eternal beings instead of just people on the earth.
Bob: Yeah.
Linda: And how are we going to get through this? So…
Bob: That’s good.
Strategery
Linda: Yeah, that’s my best advice. I don’t have as much of the financial, “oh, I would do this strategy.” Like you. You love to play around with all that stuff.
Bob: Strategery. Where we’re strategery? Was that an SNL skit?
Linda: I don’t know.
Bob: Anyway. All right. Well that’s all for today.
Linda: Strategery. We’ll just leave on that note.
Bob: Strategery. I just coined that phrase, the word anyway. That’s all for today. Have a great day and we will see you in the next one.
Linda: See you!
