Practices of a Faith Driven InvestorChikamu

Excellence Matters

We strive to do our best, knowing that our best only happens when God does it with us.

Francis Schaeffer once said that it’s to the degree we do our work well, that we have an opportunity to witness and be heard. Excellence should be obvious and not need to be stated. Yet, we must acknowledge that most of the world believes that adding additional bottom lines must subtract something from the other bottom lines. 

We need to avoid the temptation to bypass some of the discovery or diligence that we’d otherwise employ because of the excitement we feel at being a part of an investment that aligns with our faith. Faith Driven Investors care about excellence across discovery, diligence, execution, portfolio management, and outcome measurement.

God asks for our best work, not the best "Christian" version of our work.

Unfortunately, in some secular circles, “Christianity” is associated with below-average returns. The label of "Christian" is not an excuse for poor workmanship—in fact, it is the exact opposite. Because we report to a higher authority, we seek to serve him with the highest-quality work possible. We can safely assume that no wobbly chairs came out of the carpenter's shop in Nazareth, so we must follow the example of our Savior and seek excellence in every aspect of our daily job.

Faith Driven Investors settle for nothing less than the best as they seek to give it all to God, knowing that the work they do—even more so than the words they say—speaks to and reflects the God they serve. We also know that this hard work only goes as far as God wants it to. Therefore, we seek to work both for and with God—knowing that above all else God wants a relationship with His people.

This leads to a daily dependence on God to renew and redeem our work every morning as we cede all control to the God who will make our best efforts count.

Further Thought

• Why do you think excellence matters to God? Why then should it matter to you?
• What does excellence look like in how we approach investing?
• What does “Christian” work that is below the industry average say about the God that those people follow? In what ways does our own excellence reflect well on God?
• When can the pursuit of excellence become an idol? Where can we unknowingly use that as an excuse to become addicted to our work and misplace the call God has for other areas of our life?