There is such beauty in one’s journey of following Jesus. Knowing the Master’s Voice… Listening to Him… Submitting to the invitation to follow Him has many similarities and differences for each of us. Often the journey is the road less traveled and rarely is it the highway of popularity.

“For the eyes of the Lord go to and fro throughout the whole earth to find someone whose heart is fully devoted to Him so that He can display his great power by helping them.” Who wouldn’t want to be one on whom God’s gaze rests, who receives help from God, and who helps display God’s glory? This verse appears in 2 Chronicles and is about someone who might have received God’s help, but who foolishly chose a different way.

One of the most beloved and theologically rich Christmas carols is “O Holy Night.” The powerful lyrics of the third stanza boldly proclaim: “Chains shall he break for the slave is our brother, and in His name all oppression shall cease.” What if this isn’t just a nice thought we contemplate at Christmas time, but an invitation for us, as Christian investors and ambassadors of God’s kingdom, to actively take a stand for justice in the way we position our investment portfolios?

What does it look like to be in, but not of, the world? From Abraham to Jesus, we see biblical figures wrestle with living according to God’s word in a dominant culture that does not follow His principles. Jesus, of course, lived it perfectly and prayed His followers would figure it out (see his High Priestly Prayer in John 17), but my personal favorite example is Daniel.

Investor decisions are often motivated by fear and greed. While the terms fear and greed may seem harsh, they often fuel investment decisions that seek to minimize risk and maximize financial return for a single stakeholder. In contrast, investing as God’s steward requires that investors seek to optimize the interests of other stakeholders. This mindset requires an understanding of living by faith, holding tightly to God and holding loosely to our expectation of returns.

Last year, we invested in a boat so that the captain and his team could be a living witness of Jesus to his crew and to the villages which are part of the routine stops the boat makes. The boat provides opportunities for two types of tourism: ethno tourism, in which travelers explore indigenous populations, learning about their culture and traditions; and community-based eco tourism, in which visitors participate with local residents in festivals, homestays, or production of artisanal goods in order to build local economies.