Should Christians invest in Netflix with soul poisoning porn?

By Robert Netzly, Op-ed contributor Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Does your heart yearn for the world to see the greatness of God? Is your heart aflame with a holy passion for your life to be engulfed by the blazing glory of God as a signal fire to the lost of the reigning, ruling, and returning Christ? I desire this, and I often find myself asking the question of how my life can burn brighter as the Day approaches, declaring the greatness of God, the only God, the One who was and is and is to come, the Savior of the world.

Greatness is always measured as a relative term. That God is great means that He is exalted above other things. That God is supremely great means that He is exalted above every other thing. Is this what my life displays? Is that what your life displays?

Jesus taught that money is a force that uniquely vies against God for the position of preeminence in our lives. Matthew 6:24 states, “no one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” Jesus could have said you cannot serve God and pride, pleasure, lust, or comfort. But in His infinite wisdom, He said you cannot serve God and money.

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When we make financial decisions that exalt God above our attachment to money, we declare God to be greater than Mammon, and for a world where Mammon reigns supreme, there are perhaps few other prophetic acts that burn brighter in the darkness. Few other acts have such power to point the lost to the greatness of God. This distinctive grip that money has on the affections of mankind is why stories of wealthy men and women “leaving it all” to pursue a different passion are so remarkable to us. A poor man leaving off to the mission field makes an impression; a billionaire forsaking his wealth to live in poverty in the mission field makes an altogether larger impression.

Do you want to point the attention of the world to God? Make a decision to follow Jesus that has financial consequences. Leave your nets and follow him. I have found that when I tell the story of making my incredibly frightening decision to abandon the safety and security of my good-paying job with less than two months of savings in the bank to obey the call of God to pursue biblically responsible investing with my profession, the world gawks. More than 10 years later, they are still writing articles and publishing podcasts about that step of faith. Why? Not because I am anything special, that is for sure, but because my story is a testimony to the greatness and amazing grace of God. And His greatness is certainly worth writing about.

When you decide to sell out of a good-performing mutual fund with rock-bottom fees because it profits from abortion drugs and instead invest in a fund that supports biblical values, you declare that God is greater and preborn babies’ lives more important than low costs. When you decide to sell out of Amazon or Netflix because they sell the soul poison of pornography, even though they have been strong performers over the years, you declare that God is greater and holiness, purity, and healthy marriage are more important than making money.

So, how great is your God? Is He greater than financial returns? Is he greater than low fees? Is He greater than the hassle of switching investment firms or changing financial advisors? Is He greater than your favorite mutual fund? What sacrifices or changes or hassles or inconveniences are you willing to go through to invest in such a way that intentionally glorifies God? The greater the obstacles we go through for our Lord, the greater His glory shines to the world that watches.

How great is your God, Christian investor?