Talents, Money and Time

I was reading "Master Your Money" by a Christian author Ron Blue. In his book, he mentioned about using your talents, money and time for God.

Is money bad? - Not really - its the love of money. If you are not earning any money - there will be no bread on the table. You may choose to differ - that God will provides. I will say amen. But since God has given you the talents and time - why are you making use of them to bring bread on the table.

I will not try to debate on the topic, but however intend to explain how my work in forex is linked with the vision God gave me, as well as fulfilling the dreams of my family.

I am a on-line trader in spot forex. I trade mainly GBP/USD and EUR/USD currency pair - 1 forex, 2 currency pair and 3 economies. I have been in forex for about a year.

Let's look at history on how I landed doing forex.

I had a number of childhood dreams - that was before I know Christ:

1) To design my own house

2) To be a chef

3) To be a teacher

4) To own a cafe

I had always wanted to be a architect, and knew very well that I will not be a doctor, a chemist.. But when I realised that it would be a 6 years course I gave up and became an engineer instead. I have save enough for my own degree from my NS pay, supplemented with extra from tuition. As I looked back, the Lord has blessed me. By the time I completed my 4 years degree course, I paid all my loans, without paying a single interest.

I did not began as an engineer. I first fulfilled my dream as a chef (and waiter) during my engineering course time. I took up a job as a teacher for a year, before working for 2 engineering company till now. So I still have 2 un-fulfilled dreams.

So where is God in the picture. Not here, these are the dreams I have before I know Jesus. Then I was only a teenager. I was searching for God. I was only 13 or 14. My mum died when I was 14. I knew what I want - that's the dream, they are not eternal. I wanted 2 more - something external on this earth and something external after death. The search began.

It was until 1988, in my first year of NS, when I accepted Jesus as my Lord and saviour. "He is the way, the truth and the life", and no ones comes to the father (God) except through me (Jesus), "God so loved us.. He gave us Jesus, that who ever believes in Jesus, will not persish nut has external life" I found it.

So what is external on this earth - family. Geonology, a family line that contiune the legacy. I am the first in the family to become a Chirstian. So the search began and it took me 14 years before I meet Rachael on 19 March 1997, evening at TCC. What legacy?

In 1998, I began another quest, a thrist for a vision, a purpose God has for me. God first touch me and I first encoutered with God. I received a vision - my heart cry for the people in Yunan, see picture of the particular region.

A region in the north west of Yunan provice, China. Two main rivers runs across - Nu Jiang and Lan Cang Jiang. The region is generally mountainous. In general, the region is economically disadvantage. The people there in general are from the monority tribes.

So, the vision, is too big for me - I will not be able to finish it. My family will - that the legacy. My son is called Xusong- light on a mountain and Kaixi- peace to the river.

The vision, my childhood dreams how will they fit into a overall plan. Maybe only one. But it will be nice to have both.

As I seek, I came up with a 4 x 5 years plan. The first 5 years - get all your creditials to get into a polytechnic, the second 5 years, teach there and enjoy the 42 days of leave. During which I will spend the leave to develop a buisness plan. The third 5 years, execute the business and the last 5 years grow the business.

Why business? ESBI (emplyment, self-employed, business and Investment)

Yes, God provides, but it is the talents you have that you should multiple. In the first sermon - the sermon at the mount, Jesus saw the multitude, but he retreated to the mountain with his disciples and began preaching on the beautitudes. Why not preach to the multitude? Jesus knew that minsistering to the multitude only address their current needs, but it would be the disciples that will fulfil the great commission.

Yes I can work, but I know very well that for a dollar I am being paid, I will have to work harder. Remember - the vision, my dreams and the family that I so longed for. I would rather spend time in these. In addition, working towards these needs resources - money. Of course, God will provides. Business is one way of generating profits and profits translate to cash or capital for investment and investment with compounded interest, multiple. Once at that stage, time is what you gain and money just roll in.

Let see how God has provided. I need time and money. Basically I need to use less and less time earning money and yet has sufficient for my ultimate intent.

I started off with conventional business, but it failed. Not only that conventional ties me down in Singapore, it needs capital. Remember the vision, yes in Yunan, not Singapore. I don't want to be looking after my business in Singapore and not able to go anywhere for long period of time - relocation if God calls.

I came up with my three business model law:

1) I must be able to do business transaction everywhere I go

2) Regardless of economic situation - inflation or recession, bull run or bear, I must be able to do transations

3) The effort I made in transactions must be able to be compunded or be able to multiple

I found three type of business. Tried them and two of them was not sucessful. In the end, and that was some 2 years ago - I did stocks options, futures and forex.

It was forex that I stayed on for a year. In my earlier blog, I shared why not options, future, index and why forex.

As I looked back, when I started work, a ex-colleague Simon introduce me to stocks. It was then many years later when another colleague, Max, left the company, he introduced options. It was last year, I went for a church breakthrough weekend, I was introduced to Abraham. He taught me the ropes to forex. Being graphical and mathematically incline, I was able to grapse the technics of forex.

The techniques I used will spend me 5-10 minutes a day, with 4-5 hours of research and eading every week, the return is about 300pips for a standard lot of investment. I can spend more time with my God, my family, my exercise routine, with people and of course doing the things I like, fulfiling my dreams and my vision.

God gave the vision. Bless me with a family (support and co-heirs to the vision). God gave me the knowledge and know-how and daily decision making (talents) and provides the people (Simon, Max and Abraham) and the resources (capital).

I pray that with the money, time and talents, that my god provides and bless, I will bless others and gives. As you my Lord leads, I journeyed with you and as I do so and see how my faithful God provides, my faith in you increase. Amen.