For many people, the biggest obstacle to becoming a successful investor is the belief that investing is too difficult for them to handle. Because that misconception is so prevalent, Sound Mind Investing  shows people how to bust that complexity by establishing a personal investing plan.

With all the emphasis on planning, it's easy to start thinking that investing success or failure depends solely on you. What a relief that isn't the case! Surely God expects each of us to faithfully do the best we can, but ultimately, He has promised to provide for every need, whether or not we pick all the right mutual funds along the way (Matthew 6:25-33).

Becoming overly focused on questions such as “Are my investments earning enough?” and “How did the market do today?” can get our eyes off two important areas.

1.  Keeping a generous spirit. Despite the many reassurances given to us in scripture that we come out ahead by being generous (Proverbs 11:24-25, Luke 6:38, 2 Corinthians 9:6), the idea is so counter-intuitive that it remains a battle for many people. If meeting our saving and investing goals is a struggle to begin with, it sure seems strange to consider giving more money away.

Yet that often seems to be how God works, perhaps as a gentle reminder that "my ways are higher than your ways" (Isaiah 55:9) and that "the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight" (1 Corinthians 3:19).

2. Focusing on what really matters. As financial planner Scott Houser pointed out in this family vacation article, sometimes it does make sense to temporarily bust the budget or borrow from the emergency fund. Naturally it would be better to incorporate these relationship-building activities into the budget, but the point remains valid — accomplishing a specific financial goal isn't worth it if you look back after its completion and have deep regrets. My retirement will probably still be okay even if our family spends some money building loving memories.

Like most things in life, your investing plan requires balance to be effective. If it's too loose, you'll never hit your goals. If it's too tight, you can miss the prompting of the Holy Spirit, or sacrifice the things in life that ultimately prove most important.