LET YOUR ATTITUDE DETERMINE YOUR INVESTMENTS

With the stock market going up and down like a see-saw and the Asian economies hurting, it is easy to succumb to pessimism and uncertainty. Sir John Templeton, a successful manager of mutual funds and a Christian, says, "To achieve success, be neither an optimist nor a pessimist. Be a realist with a hopeful nature." Christians must make realistic investments, based on the realities of the market and the ethics of Christ.

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Don't be misinformed. Do not rely on popular opinion, which is often ignorant of the truth. Many predicted the failure of our economic system - and the stock market - in 1982, 1987, and 1993, yet reality has proved those predictions false.

Make your money work for others. Money should do more than simply reproduce itself. It should serve others. Investing in stock helps create and maintain jobs. Investing in government bonds makes life better for thousands because federal, state, and local governments can then create an infrastructure or a social program that benefits hundreds of thousands of citizens.

Invest wisely. The concerned Christian investor determines the social responsibility assumed by a company he/she plans to invest in.

Invest ethically. Ethics and spiritual principles should be the basis of everything you do in life; all that you say, all that you think. Every activity should be based on that, including your selection of investments. You wouldn't want to be an owner of a company that is producing harm for the public, therefore you wouldn't want to be the owner of a share of a company that's producing harm for the public. (John Templeton stressed the integration of spiritual principles and investment management, and reaped the highest dividends of any funds manager in the past 50 years.)

Tithe. It is one investment that never proves faulty. Tithe your time and talent as well as your money. This giving is an indication of true faith that God will provide for your needs and evidence that you are willing to live that faith and have your priorities straight. Giving is the mark of the truly mature person.

Don't accumulate. Accumulating wealth for its own sake is an empty pursuit. The secret of creating riches for oneself is to create them for others.

Keep your opinions to yourself. Don't set yourself up as a judge against other people who may be in the type of business that you don't think is wise.

Invest in those who need it. Eighty-five percent of the world's population lives in developing nations, though they account for only 20% of the world's gross domestic products. These markets are growing twice as quickly as the output of the more developed nations. By investing in those stocks, you are creating a future for them as well as earning a personal profit.

Check out the ethical investors. There are funds that show a remarkable 13% annual return on average, which are based on ethical business practices.

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