This is one of the 2020 CEF Whitepapers. For more information on the Christian Economic Forum, please visit their website here.

by Paul Bolte

The Problem to Solve

As an organization, TrustBridge Global Foundation was founded to make global giving easy so that charities everywhere could have all they need to accomplish their mission. In 2016, TrustBridge was registered as a charity in Switzerland and bank accounts were opened. The first problem has already been solved. Is there a market to make Christian cross-border giving easy? The pilot program run in 2017 and 2018 has proven that there is a definite need. 

So now comes the problem we are currently solving: how to systemize the platform so it can be scaled.

Step 1: Software Research

An extensive research of viable platforms was undertaken by TrustBridge member NCF (National Christian Foundation in the US). The following platforms were considered:

• Oracle

• SAP

• Oracle NetSuite

• Microsoft Dynamics

• plus 8 other packages

After final research, the best solution was Oracle NetSuite.

TrustBridge was able to utilize this research to also come to the same conclusion that our global platform would be built on Oracle NetSuite.

Our goal was to allow donors and charities access to a web portal where they could make contributions and grants, and see the balance of their funds and all historical activity. Also needed was a monthly statement emailed to all fundholders. Sounds simple enough, but to achieve this we had to work through a series of stages.

Step 2: Configuration

The first time we logged into NetSuite, it was an empty shell. The potential was unlimited but there was nothing in the system that related to our organization. All the basics of our organization need to be configured:

• Company details and branding

• Currencies

• Chart of accounts

• Features enabled

• Customer function used for donors

• Sub customer function used for donor advised funds (DAF)

• Vendor function used for charities

• Contacts function used for individuals connected to donor companies, DAF’s and charities

Step 3: Segmentation

We needed a way to do fund accounting in NetSuite. We needed to be able to produce a balance sheet and profit and loss statement for each fund. We needed a way to separate transactions that happened in the same account in the chart of accounts but was for a different fund. At this point we:

• Utilized custom segments for fund number and primary charity purpose

• Connected fund number to sub customer/DAF record or vendor/charity record

We wanted a way to track our financials by currency but without having to do fund accounting in each bank account as the ownership of any asset granted to TrustBridge is with TrustBridge. To solve this, we utilized the concept discussed in a CEF whitepaper in 2019 of virtual currencies. We created a virtualized currency that was pegged to each of the real (FIAT) currencies. When FIAT currency is deposited into our bank account, we credit the fund with virtual currency, and debit TrustBridge in virtual currency so that the net effect is a value is held with the fund while the FIAT currency stays with TrustBridge. 

Step 4: Simple Customization

Once the system had the basics configured, we then needed to customize each feature to work for our needs. We made a strategic decision to have just one form for donors and DAF’s and one form for charities. Rather than have multiple entry forms for all the possible different types of clients, we chose to make the forms dynamic and to change based on information entered on the form. We decided to:

• Add custom fields to existing record types (customer and vendor records)

• Add custom sections in forms for each record type

• Move custom fields into the right section

• Build workflows to have fields hide or appear dependent on values in specific fields

Step 5: Define Accounting

We knew we wanted to have a series of transactions and transactions hit the general ledger, so we had to determine the basic building blocks: 

• Donor contribution

• Fund to fund transfer

• Charity grant

• Charity assessment

We also wanted to track the balances that TrustBridge held in each of its network members and to do this we utilized the subsidiary feature within NetSuite. This allowed us to record transactions happening in funds in countries outside the parent country of Switzerland. We then had to create further accounting building blocks:

• Transfer to and from TrustBridge

• Transfer to and from a network member

• Subsidiary netting to ensure that only the fund portion of the transaction was recorded in the parent while not affecting the parent balance sheet and P&L.

The final accounting need was foreign exchange conversion. The accounting behind this requires multiple journal entries in two different currencies.

Step 6: Automate Accounting Entries (Custom Scripts)

Once we knew what our accounting entries should be, we then needed to automate the process so with a few simple pieces of data entered, multiple journal entries could be made. This is the stage in the project where the technological knowledge needed to achieve our outcomes was beyond the existing team. The story of finding a team of Christian NetSuite-only software developers in India is one of those miracles of God. Today we have access to a team of 40 people if needed in India who are NetSuite specialists.

We then created custom screens to reproduce all the transactions defined in Step 5.

Step 7: Fund Statements

The final stage of our initial goal was to produce a statement that could be emailed to fund holders to reflect all balances and activity happening in their fund each month. To do this we had to work through a series of building blocks again, so we:

• Built an on-screen statement by fund, by currency, and by date range

• Using NetSuite’s advanced PDF maker, produced a branded statement with all the fund activity included

• Built a workflow to create PDF statements and for them to pass through an approval process by utilizing a folder structure within NetSuite Documents

  • Pending Approval

  • Financed Approved

  • Approved Statements

  • Email Sent Statements

  • Revision Statements

  • Not Sent Statements

• Built an email sending system that would allow for all approved statements to be sent to relevant fund holders.

At this stage in the project we had achieved one of our original goals of being able to produce an accurate, beautiful looking statement that was emailed to fundholders. 

Step 8: Web Portal

The other part of our goal was to produce a web portal that fund holders could log into and perform transactions and see balances and activity. Rather than waiting until our NetSuite development was fully complete, we ran our portal project in parallel so that both projects would be completed around the same time. The web portal was again a series of building blocks.

• Determine language to match NetSuite (Java, Java Script)

• Build user interface

• Develop back-end database and data structure

• Build NetSuite APIs (application programming interface)

• Connect APIs and backend of portal to user interface

We still have more to do to finish building our solution. In 12 months, however, we have taken an issue that needed a solution and built a viable working solution that we believe will ultimately impact the world by making global giving easier. We believe this because a user can now log in to a web portal and access their giving fund and grant to charities all over the world with the click of a mouse. By releasing donors into a world where global giving is easy, our prayer is that generosity will flow and the charities of the world will have all they need to accomplish their missions.

by Chad Hamilton

Good financial planners know that effective financial planning is comprehensive in scope and the components are interdependent. Like pieces of a puzzle that fit together in a particular way to form a complete picture, financial decisions are interrelated and contingent on one another. For example, the way investments are allocated impacts the amount of income taxes that are due; taxes due affect cash flow needs from the portfolio, which will, in turn, affect how much one needs to save for retirement, and so on.

Many readers will, no doubt, be familiar with the puzzle analogy. But all too often something is missing from it. In order to best put together the puzzle, you need to see the picture on the top of the box. It’s tempting to jump right in and begin fitting the pieces together. But you’ll have greater success if you understand what it is you are trying to build and confirm it’s something you want to build. Likewise, you cannot make the best financial decisions for your life until you have really articulated and envisioned your ideal future — the “picture on the top of the box.”

The “Picture on the Top” from a Christian Perspective

But there is another reason why the “picture” is so important. Your desired future not only informs decision-making today, but it also provides the incentive to make it a reality. Internal motivation drives external behavior. In other words, it is not primarily head knowledge that dictates the choices we make. It is our dreams and desires. A compelling vision of your desired future will provide the proper motivation for making the right financial decisions today. 

For Christians, the need to begin with the end in mind is even more important because our “end” is eternal in nature. That’s why, in the New Testament, many of the references to money are framed in terms of ultimate consequences – from rewards in heaven (Matthew 6:2-4) to being cut off from God forever (Matthew 6:19-24). Therefore, what we believe about our ultimate future profoundly affects how we approach personal financial matters. If we do not fully contemplate or understand the eternal, we become experts in the trivial and novices in the significant.    

The Picture Informs Daily Actions

So the central question is: what do we believe about our ultimate future and the future of this world? What is the scope of God’s redemption? Is it purely about saving souls or is it about restoring all things? What we believe about heaven and the Kingdom of God is not merely a speculative exercise or obscure theological debate. It informs our daily actions and decision-making. 

If I believe that this earth is ultimately going to burn up and be destroyed and my vision of heaven is an ethereal, purely spiritual existence, what I do here doesn’t matter much. It matters in terms of saving souls, but none of the work I do or monetary investments I make have a lasting impact. In this view, what matters most is not being “left behind.” This results in Christians becoming “too heavenly minded for any earthly good.”

But what we see in Genesis 2:5-15 is that God created us to work. The Garden of Eden is God’s vision for humanity and it will ultimately come about. According to the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:58, this means that what we do on earth is not in vain. When we know what our eternal future will look like, it will infuse our activities here with a whole new level of meaning and significance.   

A Meaningful Difference

So how does this all play out on a daily basis in our money relationships? On a practical level, how do these beliefs shape our perspectives and decision-making?

An underdeveloped view of the end of time will lead to a compartmentalized view of personal finances, one that happens to look an awful lot like that of non-believers. In this view: 

• I will negotiate the best deal possible, even if it means taking advantage of someone in a tough spot or another person’s naivety. 

• I will buy the cheapest products and services without considering the supply chain or labor practices that helped produce it.

• I will invest money solely in pursuit of maximized financial returns, regardless of how the companies I am investing in make their profits.

• I will maximize financial wealth without much thought of the potential dangers money may pose to my own soul.

If, on the other hand, we believe God is in the business of restoring every inch of his Creation, as servants in His Kingdom our bottom line is no longer purely financial but rather about serving the greater good with our time, talent, and money. It means we spend money, invest money, and earn money all in ways that are intended to increase human flourishing. We will aspire to use our resources in ways that are beautiful and transformational. 

When Christ says, “Where your treasure is your heart is also,” he wants to set us free (Matthew 6:21). Free from the widespread cultural idolatry of money. In this view:

• I will voluntarily pay more than necessary for some products in order to promote generous labor practices or sustainable agriculture. 

• I will integrate my values with my investment decisions, avoiding investments in companies that promote the diminishment or destruction of human life.

• I will lavishly give my money in ways that are shocking and overflowing with grace.

• I will take seriously Jesus’s warning that we cannot serve two masters (God and “mammon”) by being concerned not only with what I am doing with money but also with what money is doing to me.

The Ultimate Hope

Everyone should have a goals-based approach to managing money.  It is the right framework for making good financial decisions.  The difference for followers of Jesus is that our greatest goals and dreams are aligned with God’s plan for eternity.  What we need is a hope-based approach to money.  Not a hope in money that rescues us from uncertainty about the future, but a hope that rests assured in the promises of the one who conquered death.

—

Chad Hamilton is a CFP® and Director of Practice Management with Brown and Company, Inc. in Denver, Colorado. Chad has more than 20 years of experience in the wealth management industry. This article is an excerpt from Chad’s book, Redefining Financial Freedom.

REDEFINING FINANCIAL FREEDOM: A GOSPEL-BASED APPROACH TO MONEY

by Chad S. Hamilton

There is no shortage of books providing financial advice and quite a few of those incorporate a Christian perspective. They all tend to start with existing financial practices and apply Biblical principles to what you are already doing. What makes this book different is that it starts with the gospel and then considers the financial implications. The underlying assumption here is that the gospel is Good News rather than Good Advice. That means it is not primarily about finding the right Bible verses to inform you, but rather about connecting with the Good News of Jesus to transform you. What Chad Hamilton provides in this provocative book is an antidote to the false cultural narratives about money. He shows how so many financial problems are due to a misguided search for freedom and helps paint a picture of “what could be” by weaving in stories of imaginative people helping to redeem a broken world. Redefining Financial Freedom provides an inspiring Biblical framework for understanding money. It will change the way you think about work, investing, and generosity.

by Allen McClinton

In the 1970s, Milton Friedman articulated a myopic mission for corporations to concentrate solely on serving the interest of the investing class. He said that if their interests are served well, all will benefit. Society now bears the results.

American corporation’s strict adherence to this hypothesis has driven a divide in our society where two different cities cohabitate in one nation. The citizens of one of those cities find themselves in tremendous hurt and desperation as they fight to survive. While the other city’s inhabitants economically insulate themselves with an unbreachable moat made from the ownership of assets.  

This is America. This is the non-empathetic capitalistic machine we’ve created for ourselves. Adam Smith’s “invisible hand” is more discriminatory than many care to admit—directing the flow of power and capital to determine how people are valued and viewed. The resulting fragile societal structures are direct fruits of the behaviors incentivized by America’s capitalism. 

While the structure of American society makes it easy for Corporations to create perpetual growth and make meaningful impacts in the lives of Americans, we’re also reaping the negative social side effects of what we’ve sown. Now, we find ourselves pondering, when our economy is built on broken societal foundations, should we be surprised when storms threaten to knock it all down?  

Slavery is the result of a society that prioritizes financial gain over human dignity. We can say that slavery is “in the past,” but it was this free labor that allowed American capitalism to unlock the wealth of this nation. The racial injustices we see every day are the direct result of an economy that grew from the free labor of the very people it refused to value. Slavery is no longer legal, but if the racism that seems so core to our societal structures tell us anything it’s that laws alone don’t change the ethos of a nation.

Racial injustice is not a problem for government and social programs alone. It’s an economic issue. It’s one that requires the focused efforts of entrepreneurs and investors alike. It’s a problem that requires us to unwind the discriminatory policies that concentrate economic capital  in specific areas and stop allocating capital, calculated and applied at scale, to benefit one group of people to the exclusion of another. 

It’s hard to believe that racial injustice can be reduced to economic and financial decisions, but that is exactly what occurs when economic decisions do not consider human equality. Discriminatory asymmetries were exploited in order to concentrate our nation’s resources and wealth in certain locations. Business leaders are just doing their job to maximize their own profits. 

This common power struggle surfaced during the creation of America. The Founding Fathers wrestled as they formed the Constitution, knowing that to recognize every man as equal and with unalienated rights was in direct conflict with the a slavery-driven economy. Thus, you find a “compromise” where a black man is considered 3/5ths of a man. 

In the 1930s, racial discrimination became a formalized policy called redlining where essential government capital resources and services that seed wealth capacity in a locality were denied to largely black urban areas. Again, a “compromise” was made to concentrate capital in largely white neighborhoods at the cost and decay of black urban areas.  

As we see very clearly in our society today, what starts as an objective and non-empathetic financial decision begins to hurt and deteriorate society in personal and intimate ways. Business leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors cannot ignore and be indifferent to the societal problems we face in our society. For how healthy can America’s Corporations be if America’s Society is not healthy? 

Our economy claims to support the ideals of equal human dignity and to reward those that work hard to realize the American dream. However, the reality of the experiments we have run so far, fall tremendously short of these ideals. American’s economy is not compassionate and empathetic to human dignity. The decisive decisions that have been made throughout history show that specific human races are sacrificed to benefit and reward the economic gain of other specific human races. 

As Christian marketplace leaders, we can’t stay indifferent to this injustice. Even more, we can’t settle, rest, and operate within economic structures that reward greed arbitraged from the intentional subjugation of fellow image-bearers of God. All men and women are equal because they bear the image of our Heavenly Father. We are called to follow the example of Jesus, who stewarded His privilege as a ransom that He might serve humanity. 

We must then ask ourselves—how much am I willing to sacrifice to enable and empower those that have experienced forced and discriminatory setbacks? What does this look like for an early-stage investor? Have I taken a hard look at not just the diversity programs, but the actual structures and rewards of the economic systems I am operating in? Are there groups of people who are being intentionally left out of the room? 

I am a passionate capitalist who finds great joy in making a profit. I am also a black man who has experienced institutional racism. I am a Christian for whom Jesus Christ died and rose again that I might have life, and I belong to His family. I am His child. And as His child, who is being crafted in His likeness, I can’t suffer being satisfied in blindly operating within an unjust system. I must take action to do justice in the businesses I operate in. I must join hands with my brothers and sisters to find new and redemptive ways to be a compassionate, empathetic and just capitalist. 

One of the most amazing things about living in Silicon Valley is to have seen and experienced how capital unlocks and galvanizes productive human potential to create amazing and valuable companies. Like a heat-seeking missile, Sand Hill road capital seeks to fund great teams of people with the outcome of outsized economic returns. However, when their black and brown demographics are cooled by the cold-hearted institutional systems of racism, capital, as a heat-seeking missile, never finds and unlocks this group’s productive potential. 

Everyone in America suffers when capital is boxed in to fund only great ideas and teams that look a certain way. When there are demographics in our country whose unlocked productive potential have never been fully capitalized, we all lose. The real and more compelling vision is to end economic racism and unlock the productive potential of Americans that have never been given a chance before. 

At the heights of the Civil Rights movement in 1968, the Apollo project put the first human on the moon. 42 years later, as protests over racial injustice broke out yet again across the streets of America, SpaceX executed a successful mission becoming the first private company to launch people into orbit. 

Lifting off to space will always capture the world’s imagination. And in very practical terms, the work to build a successful space endeavour unlocks tremendous amounts of innovations that touch and improve people’s everyday lives. From the Apollo project came GPS technology, breakthroughs in material science, and new ways to organize. The external benefits that society reaped were in the trillions of dollars.  

Going to space requires men and women to stretch and stress every single building block of science, physics and engineering to complete a launch. As Chamath Palihapitiya shared in an interview about his company Virgin Atlantic, “[space travel] requires you to reimagine all the basic things we have today in a new light.” 

These current protests have captured the hearts of Americans to the reality of racial injustice. Similar to the reimagining thought processes and work to launch into space, men and women who hope to launch society beyond the inertia of racial injustice must reimagine and reconsider very basic fundamental structures of our economy. 

I am hopeful that we can change the landscape of America to a more just and profitable capitalism. With certain demographics forced to stay put at the starting blocks, we have only experienced a limited version of the might and productivity of American’s Capitalism. But once everyone is running the race, we can finally push the whole competition to new records. 

Article originally hosted and shared with permission by The Christian Economic Forum, a global network of leaders who join together to collaborate and introduce strategic ideas for the spread of God’s economic principles and the goodness of Jesus Christ. This article was from a collection of White Papers compiled for attendees of the CEF’s Global Event.

by Ben McLain

Often, when I meet someone new and tell them that I work at Impact Foundation, their response is, “Oh, so you’re involved with that ESG stuff.” I usually just smile and reply “Something like that,” but inside, my stomach turns, and I want to explain that I’m actually passionate about impact investing, which is related to, but significantly different from, “that ESG stuff.” ESG (environmental, social, and governance) investing is well-intentioned and has positive aspects. However, I believe that despite its benefits, it has serious flaws and has been weaponized in some cases, actually producing far more harm than good. As I have worked in the faith-driven investing space and followed the latest research on investment philosophies and outcomes, my conviction has grown stronger that impact investing, rather than ESG, has the greatest potential to promote human flourishing and accomplish the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Also, as I have continued to study the Scriptures, I believe impact investing surpasses ESG investing in faithfully testifying to the Kingdom of God. So, to answer my new friend who assumes that I am “involved with that ESG stuff,” my honest response would be: ESG investing is good, but I am committed to promoting impact investing as it more effectively testifies to God’s Kingdom by:

• Possessing less risk of greenwashing and fraud

• Providing investors with more direct stewardship over the flow of funds

• Promoting investment dollars be designated to specific and measurable outcomes

• Providing more accountability, transparency, and assessment of UN SDG progress

ESG investing is a philosophy where “investors consider environmental, social and governance criteria alongside traditional financial factors. It represents a more holistic approach to investing that takes into account our impact on the natural world and society, as well as any potential financial gains.” As followers of Jesus, I think we all would agree that this is a good and noble approach to stewarding the resources God has entrusted to us. ESG investing has been extremely successful in shifting the focus of investors and companies away from solely maximizing their financial gains and has expanded their considerations to include the effects their resources and operations have on people and our planet. However, I believe this well-intended philosophy has unintended second and third order effects that may result in negative and even dangerous outcomes.

The greatest challenge with ESG investing is that the standards by which to define and assess the environmental, social, and governance aspects of an organization or investment are extremely subjective and liable to coercive and/or political tactics by the powers that be. As goes public sentiment or the political landscape, so goes the standards for assessing ESG excellence. A current example of this scenario is ExxonMobil. In 2021, under the banner of ESG responsibility, activist investors demanded that ExxonMobil drastically reduce its production of hydrocarbons and rapidly move toward carbon neutrality. When the board adopted this strategy, the company’s stock dropped significantly, but the move was applauded by the broader investment community as a bold and radical step toward improving our environment. However, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 exposed the fragility of the world’s energy security and demonstrated that ExxonMobil’s ESG policies must include measures to expand energy development and production in parallel with reducing demand for hydrocarbons. 

Beyond its subjectivity, the most frightening aspect of the ESG philosophy is its capacity to be weaponized. We see this in the “cancel culture” of our day, where organizations or individuals that are viewed as being outside the permissible boundaries (as defined by those in power) are ostracized or punished. If a company is viewed as not “green enough” or not “diverse enough,” investors are encouraged to divest their assets in the company and align their resources with “more acceptable” organizations. In China, the ESG approach has been applied to individuals, and each citizen is given a “social credit score” based on their level of compliance to the Chinese Communist Party. This practice has led to financial penalties, prison, and even execution for individuals who were deemed threats to the regime. With the development of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CDBCs) combined with social credit scoring, one can imagine almost unchecked powers by the State to restrict individual’s financial freedoms and seize their assets. 

While these examples may seem extreme or alarmist, I maintain that it is important to assess the downstream consequences of our beliefs and practices. The desire for intentionality and responsibility in the environmental, social, and governance aspects of an organization is a good thing and can be implemented in beneficial ways. However, I believe the ESG philosophy is inherently flawed and insufficient to produce the holistic and enduring flourishing we desire to see in our organizations and in our world. Impact investing, while not perfect, possesses a greater ability to promote holistic prosperity without the risks associated with ESG investing.

A good definition of impact investing is “investing with the intention to generate positive, measurable social and environmental impact alongside a financial return. Impact investments can be made in both emerging and developed markets and target a range of returns from below market to market rate, depending on investors’ strategic goals.” The primary difference between impact and ESG investing, which I believe is key to avoiding ESG’s pitfalls and promoting creation’s flourishing, is that impact investment dollars are designated to achieve specific and measurable outcomes. Rather than directing companies to aspire to the vague and esoteric notion of being deemed “responsible” according to a shifting and fickle set of standards, impact investments align capital with unambiguous goals that can be quantitatively assessed. A fitting analogy is carpet bombing versus laser guided missiles. ESG investing is like carpet bombing, where you may hit some intended targets, but there is significant unintentional collateral damage. Impact investing is like using laser guided missiles, which are extremely precise and produce only their desired effect.

ESG investing focuses on identifying and analyzing specific characteristics of an organization and determining the associated risks and hindrances these factors represent to the maximum financial return on investment. Impact investing emphasizes the specific positive outcomes that the investment will empower the organization to accomplish. These goals are often developed in collaboration between the investor and the organization, so they are not subject to the whims of public opinion or the dictates of a regime. Also, these desired outcomes are precise and have well-defined measures of success mutually agreed upon by the investor and the organization. Companies receiving impact investments are expected to provide regular updates and progress reports, and this data provides accountability and transparency between the companies, investors, and third parties. This reporting practice also reduces greenwashing or the fraudulent use of funds and enables monitoring organizations to measure and assess progress being made toward the achievement of the UN SDGs. 

All the positive aspects of ESG investing can be encompassed within impact investing, without assuming ESG’s inherent faults. Impact investments promote environmental care, social flourishing, and excellent governance, and they do so by defining specific criteria to measure and assess the effectiveness of the investment to achieve these goals. ESG is a nebulous philosophy that is vulnerable to perversion and corruption. Impact investing more effectively empowers faith-driven investors to faithfully steward our calling to bear witness to the Kingdom of God because it possesses less risk of greenwashing and fraud, provides investors with more direct stewardship over the flow of funds, promotes investment dollars be designated to specific and measurable outcomes, and provides enhanced accountability, transparency, and assessment of UN SDG progress.

by Jimmy Rousey

My brother recently passed away, and his funeral gave me new insight into his life. 

The crowd was large, and people waited over two hours to express their sympathy to the family. I heard stories from his neighbors about how he would mow their lawns right before he knew they would return from a trip or vacation. His friends told us of the impact he had on their lives through his consistent kindness. I also thought of his many mission trips to Poland, Russia, and Eastern Kentucky. The people he served there won’t know of his passing, but perhaps his life influenced them and their families.

In talking to these friends and neighbors, I realized this truth: Each of our lives is reflected in the people we interact with here on earth and have left behind.

When we are gone, our legacy can continue in the businesses we built or the money we earned, but the biggest impact is in the lives of those we interacted with. A small interaction could profoundly impact the other person, and the change in their life could be reflected through their children, grandchildren, and so on. 

My grandfather drove a church bus for over 20 years. He drove elderly church members and children to First Baptist Church in Danville, and he never missed a Sunday. Though some might look at this role as small or insignificant, he touched countless lives through the simple act of driving people to church. His commitment and dedication certainly influenced me.

The impact of a life well lived is far more significant than anything we will ever see or know. The average person meets about 10,000 people in their lifetime. From deep friendships formed while young to small interactions at a restaurant or grocery store, we have vast potential for having an impact on others.

“To the world, you might be one person, but to one person, you might be the world.” – Dr. Suess

An intern I mentor in our business could witness how we strive to run our company—with godly integrity and generosity. They might carry those values with them into their future workplace or company, impacting their team members and employees. Perhaps they will be inspired to live out those same values at work and home. We have seen the power and impact businesses and corporations have, for good or bad. I believe that if a spirit of generosity swept through our current marketplace and economy, many problems and needs in our country and around the world would be solved. 

A team member might join our company simply to receive a paycheck. Still, they also steadily receive care, compassion, and opportunities to grow spiritually, professionally, and emotionally. We offer unique benefits and team care opportunities that empower team members to show the same care and generosity towards others. These benefits include mission trip assistance, counseling services, spiritual resources, adoption assistance, scholarships, donation matches, and more. We believe that these opportunities have a lasting impact on our team members and their families.

A customer looking for a home loan might receive guidance and wisdom from a loan officer that another bank doesn’t provide. For example, we encourage our customers to pay off loans quickly, even though we make more money when the loan is owed longer. Even as a financial institution, we want our customers to find financial freedom because:

“The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.” – Proverbs 22:7

This perspective could set that customer on the path to financial freedom and stability, creating an example for their children and breaking generational cycles of debt and bad financial habits. What impact will this have as that customer’s children become adults and have children of their own?

As a leader of our company, I understand my influence on customers, team members, and community members. The words of Luke 12:48 explain the weight of this responsibility:

“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”

No matter the role, many of us probably have more influence on others than we realize. However, we must use our time and influence wisely. Influence is just like time—if you don’t use it, you lose it.

A person must strategically think about how they are using their influence, asking themselves questions such as: Am I encouraging those around me to show love, humility, generosity, and kindness, or do I often overlook my time spent with others to focus on the next item in my schedule? Am I focused on the difference I can make in the lives of others or just my business and personal legacy?

I see so many people striving for a legacy in today’s world, both through vain ambitions and good acts like generosity and advocacy. Yet I know that, generations from now, my business will eventually be forgotten. Buildings, parks, or projects I donated to that bear our company’s name will be torn down, paved over, or lost, as we are reminded of in Matthew 6:20:

“Store your treasures in heaven, where moth and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.”

My only eternal, lasting legacy is the impact I have on others. My daily, personal interactions are the starting point to this impact. I can focus on the next deal or investment, forgetting how important a small act of kindness can be, or I can look at another person and ask myself: How will I be reflected in them? As the hurried boss? The commanding leader? The pressuring salesman? Or as a trusted advisor, mentor, or friend who took time to ask about their family, listen to them, and offer advice and care?

In the corporate world especially, I often witness people trying to climb the ladder of success. As the saying goes, they get to the top and realize the ladder has been leaning against the wrong wall. While they spent all their time working and striving for worldly success in business, they neglected their family or other more lasting priorities. 

Our spiritual well-being and the time we invest in our families are the most important walls we can lean our ladders on. When we get to the top, we will see a life well lived, with our kindness, love, and generosity reflected in those around us. 

How do we live this way? The answer is to live with intentionality. This allows us to finish the race of life in the way we want to. Without intentionality, it can be all too easy to work a few more hours each day, skip that family vacation, or focus on appearing successful rather than giving generously.

A poem that inspires me to live this way is called ‘The Dash’ by Linda Ellis. She reflects that our entire lives are summarized in the dash between birth and death on our tombstones. The end of the poem reminds me of what will truly matter in the end:

So, when your eulogy is being read

With your life’s actions to rehash…

Would you be proud of the things they say

About how you spent YOUR dash?

When my time on earth is over, I don’t want my legacy to be a temporary memory of financial success or vain endeavors. I want my life to be a reflection of love, patience, kindness, generosity, and genuine care for others. I want each person I interacted with to carry a small part of that reflection into their own lives so that, even when my name is forgotten, the impact I had will be carried on for generations.

What will your reflection be? What would others say your reflection will be? What changes should you make now to ensure your reflection is what you want?

Article originally hosted and shared with permission by The Christian Economic Forum, a global network of leaders who join together to collaborate and introduce strategic ideas for the spread of God’s economic principles and the goodness of Jesus Christ. This article was from a collection of White Papers compiled for attendees of the CEF’s Global Event.

by Rob Loughery

I recently spent some time catching up with a few guys I played college football with nearly 35  years ago. We were reminiscing and “trying to recapture a little of the glory,” as Springsteen’s  “Glory Days” so accurately suggests. It’s interesting to me, as I think all of us, no matter our age  or experience, have this inner desire to recapture the good ole days of the past. Whether our  memories are correct in how glorious the past was, I believe our hearts are deeply wired to a  longing for things to be restored or redeemed to the glory that they once were. We desire to  see what is broken, fixed; what is old and tired, renewed. This goes much deeper than the glory  days of high school or college; it goes to the original glory of Creation, the longing to see the  fallen world, redeemed and restored.  

The apostle Paul captures the essence of this longing in Romans 8:19-25 when he writes, “The  creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed…the whole creation has  been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we  ourselves…groan inwardly, as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our  bodies.” What Paul is saying is that creation knows, and we know, too, that some time, and we  hope sooner than later, things will be redeemed, restored to the way it was meant to be – back  to the glory days. We all, including creation, groan inwardly for this restoration. There was  paradise and it was lost. We want it back again. I believe that is what is woven in the fabric of  our hearts. That is a longing we all deeply crave. 

Think about the great fairy tales and Disney movies. Being a father of three daughters, I have  watched and read my share of them. How do they begin? “Once upon a time….” The once upon  a time was a glorious past, a time when things were right and good. In every tale like these,  unfortunately, some tragic event takes place that dismantles the fairy tale beginning. Someone  opposed to that good story seeks to destroy that beautiful setting. The princess is locked up in  the castle and a spell is cast upon her or the prince is turned into a beast and his kingdom is  invaded. Something terrible happens that disrupts paradise and the good ole days aren’t so  good anymore…paradise is lost. The characters in these tales long for things to be as they once  were, they long for the glory of the past to be restored. They await a hero to rescue them.  Sound familiar?  

I love the way Genesis 1 and John 1 start: “In the beginning…” Just like “Once upon a time…”  We know that in the beginning it was good. God said so. He was pleased. This isn’t a fairy tale,  however. It’s a true story. Once upon a time we lived in community with Him – in community  

with creation and with one another. Yet, we don’t even get out of the third chapter of the story  before a spell is cast, a kingdom invaded and a community divided. You see my point: it’s  Genesis 1 and 2 that we long for, not our days from high school or college or the nostalgia of  1950’s or 1980’s. That’s what creation, as Paul notes in Romans 8, is groaning for, too. It is what  we ‘groan inwardly’ for, as well. It’s written in our hearts; it’s the larger story we live in. 

The writer of Ecclesiastes illustrates this point precisely. You see this longing – the groaning – is written in our hearts from the beginning of time: “He has made everything beautiful in its time.  He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done for  them from beginning to end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11) Each and every one of us knows…we just can’t  quite put our finger on it. We sense, deep down inside, that something is just not right, that  there must be something more. We can faintly recall this long ago past. It’s what we inherently  want because we know we were made for more, for something better. 

As followers of Jesus Christ, we know that we can have what was lost and broken, redeemed  and restored. We know that what awaits us is not only a new life in Christ, but a new paradise where we will live in authentic community with Him for eternity. A life the way God intended it  to be. This is true. It’s not a fairy tale. This is the promise of His story: a restored Kingdom, “on  earth as it is in Heaven.” “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them….  there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has  passed away.” (Rev 21:3-4) This is the story that each and everyone us live in. As believers we  know this promise to be true: “I am making everything new!” (Rev 21:5) But, what about now,  we ask. 

God invites us in the present moment to be part of the redemption of this world. We don’t  need to sit it out reminiscing about the glory days, passively waiting for it to come back. In fact,  we must act as though it depends on us. Through the power of the Gospel, God calls us to keep  in motion His perfect plan to redeem the world. God has given us the resources and the talents to renew, rebuild and restore community, including the physical (creation), the relational  (people) and the spiritual (faith) elements. He has invited us to be part of this great mission and it is up to us to invest our time, talents and resources to advance His Kingdom here on  earth.  

I really don’t think we fully understand or grasp that we have this authority and the resources from Him to do these works. I feel most of us think that this type of ability is reserved for the  famous characters in the Bible and not for you and me. But recall the story in Luke about the  seventy-two whom Jesus sent out on a mission. They weren’t exactly a heavenly host of angels  

or the next twelve draft picks to be disciples. They were just “seventy-two others.” I would  guess, a lot like you and me. When they return to Jesus after their work in the fields, they were  filled with “joy and said, ‘Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.’” (Luke 10:17) Look at what they were able to accomplish. Jesus rejoiced, too, because He knew what those who  follow and abide in Him were capable to accomplish: “I saw Satan fall like lightning from  heaven. I have given you authority to trample snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the  power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” (Luke 10:18-20) Boy, were they surprised. And I  think Jesus was, too. Surprised in the sense that He witnessed what His Father was up to: “At  that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, ‘I praise you Father, Lord of heaven and  earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to  little children.” (Luke 10:21)

Luke notes that Jesus was filled with joy at what He saw and then records these words from  Jesus: “Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.” (Luke 10:21) Now, please don’t read that  line of scripture and hear it as coming from the mild-mannered Jesus you remember pictured in  those colorful Sunday school workbooks you used as a child. Rather, read that with the same  type of emphasis while picturing an NFL player doing a dance in the end zone after he just  scored a touchdown. You see it pleased the Father that this was part of His plan and it was  revealed to everyone in attendance that day, which was probably a lot more than twelve plus  seventy-two. Jesus, who is stoked about what just happened, turns to the side (think end zone  dance) and privately expresses his joy to the twelve disciples, “Blessed are the eyes that see  what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did  not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” (Luke 10:23) In other words, the  power and authority that prophets and kings throughout the centuries wanted to have and see  on display was finally here. That’s a lot of power we are armed with…are we making a  difference with it for His kingdom? 

If we invest our time, talents and our resources, we can have that type of impact too. We are  called to be part of God’s redemptive plan. We are called to use and invest the resources God  has blessed and provided us with to fix what is broken and redeem what has been lost. It is only  through the power of the resurrected King that we have this ability, for He alone has conquered  sin and death. These tasks are not reserved for only missionaries, ministries and pastors. As  faith-based investors and businesses, we have a critical role to play just like the seventy-two.  We must for much is at stake and we know, that in the end, we live happily ever after.

Nehemiah Development Company is a faith driven, PA real estate developer that’s deeply aligned with the Faith Driven movement as we “build redemptive community by renewing and restoring the physical, spiritual, and relational aspects of community that God desires and intended for us to dwell in”. We’re also 4th Soil Investments, the funds that back the projects, “Real Estate Investing for Financial Returns with a Kingdom Impact”.