Why Invest? Building the Right Mindset

Over the last several weeks, we’ve laid the groundwork for financial health: building a budget to direct your money, tackling debt to remove burdens, and creating savings to provide stability and peace of mind. Those weren’t just “good habits” — they were preparation. Before you can grow wealth, you first have to learn how to manage what you already have with wisdom and consistency.

Now, it’s time to take the next step forward: investing.

Investing isn’t reserved for Wall Street professionals or the wealthy. It’s for everyday people — teachers, nurses, small business owners, janitors — anyone willing to live below their means, save consistently, and plant seeds for the future. True wealth is often built quietly and steadily, not through flashy risks but through discipline, patience, and long-term vision.

This week, we’ll explore why investing matters, the mindset you need to succeed, and the myths that hold many people back from getting started.

💡 This Week’s Focus: Why Invest?

Investing isn’t about getting rich quick. It’s about planting today so you can reap tomorrow. Saving protects your money, but investing multiplies it. Without investing, inflation slowly erodes your purchasing power and weakens your financial future.

Still, many people hesitate because they fear losing money. Losses feel painful and discouraging. But here’s the truth: losses are not failures — they are part of the process.

Morgan Housel, in The Psychology of Money, writes:

In other words, losses in investing are not a fine for making a mistake — they are simply the fee you pay for the chance to build wealth. Just like you pay a ticket to get into a park, you “pay” for the opportunity to grow your money by enduring ups and downs in the market.

And here’s what’s important to remember: investing is not just for the wealthy.

One of the most famous examples is Ronald Read, a janitor and gas station attendant who quietly invested throughout his life. When he passed away in 2014, he stunned everyone by leaving nearly $8 million to his local library and hospital. He didn’t earn a high salary or “look rich.” But by living simply, saving consistently, and investing faithfully, he built lasting wealth that outlived him.

💡 Myth vs. Truth

• Myth: Investing is only for the wealthy.

• Truth: Wealth is often built by regular people with ordinary jobs who live simply, save faithfully, and invest steadily over time.

📖 Verse of the Week
"He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap."
— Ecclesiastes 11:4 (ESV)

Investing requires action. If you wait for the “perfect time” to start, you’ll never plant the seeds that lead to a future harvest.

Building the Right Mindset for Investing

• Why Invest?
  • Beat inflation — A dollar today won’t buy the same in 10 years.
  • Build long-term security — Investments fund retirement, education, and future goals.
  • Create freedom — Investing helps you move from working for money to letting money work for you.

• Who Really Becomes Wealthy?
  Lasting wealth rarely comes from day trading, lottery winnings, or quick windfalls. Instead, it’s built by ordinary people who live modestly, save consistently, and invest steadily. As Morgan Housel reminds us, wealth is what you don’t see — the car not purchased, the vacation skipped, the lifestyle kept simple so money could quietly grow in the background.

• Mindset Shifts:
  • Losses are normal — they’re the price of admission to long-term returns.
  • Avoid “get-rich-quick” schemes — If it promises overnight wealth, it’s a red flag. Whether it’s a trendy tip, a “can’t miss” investment, or an urgent opportunity you must act on now, shortcuts usually leave people broke and discouraged. Real investing takes time, patience, and steady contributions.
  • You don’t need to be a day trader — Day trading means buying and selling stocks rapidly, hoping to profit from short-term price swings. It requires constant monitoring and often ends in losses. Regular people don’t need to do this to build wealth.
  • You don’t need to time the market — Market timing means trying to predict exactly when the market is at its highest (to sell) or lowest (to buy). The truth? No one can consistently know when “up is up” or “down is down.” Waiting for the perfect moment usually means missing out.
  • Investing is long-term — Real wealth is built by steadily investing in quality investments over many years, regardless of daily market headlines. It’s about buying and holding through the ups and downs, not buying today and selling tomorrow.

• Faith & Finance Connection
  Like farming, investing requires faith in what’s unseen. You sow today with the expectation of reaping later. It’s not about certainty — it’s about discipline, wisdom, and patience.

🎯 Weekly Challenge
Write down your personal why for investing.

Is it for:

1. Retirement?

2. Providing for your family?

3. Building generational wealth?

Having a clear purpose will help you stay steady when the market feels uncertain.

💬 Reflection Questions

1. What fears do I have about investing?

2. How does understanding losses as the “cost of admission” change my perspective?

3. Do I believe investing is only for the wealthy — or do I see how everyday choices can build lasting wealth?

📢 What’s Coming Next
Next week, we’ll break down the basics of investing — what it really is, how it differs from saving, and why time and patience are your greatest allies.

You’ve built the foundation. Now it’s time to start planting for growth.

Stay faithful. Stay focused. The seeds you sow today can grow into tomorrow’s harvest.

🔁 New here or missed a few? You can read all the previous newsletters right here: financebyfaith.beehiiv.com

Blessings and financial peace to you!