All posts by John (Manager)

Optimizing Life, Treasures In Heaven

The Foundation of Your Financial Strategy

Effective organizations, and effective people, develop a set of guiding principles to help guide their decisions. Individuals that want to be effective in managing their finances need to do the same.

We provide an example of a Guiding Framework for managing finances on GrowMyMoneyNow.org that highlights some key principles or elements you need to consider while building your own personal financial strategy. However, this does not replace the need for you to develop your own personal guiding principles that should not be limited to finances but rather define how finances fit relative to broader aspects of your life.

I will share an example of my personal top three guiding principles.

  1. Serve God
  2. Serve my wife
  3. Serve my children

You notice that finances and career are not even on the list as a stand-alone priority. That is because for me money is a tool to achieve my guiding principles rather than a value in and of itself. (By the way… the pursuit to maximize money with no other objective is called greed and you will never have enough.)

Clearly identifying these principles ahead of time helps me make good decisions when I am confronted with tempting opportunities that come along such as opportunity to make more money. I consider that opportunity but must weigh it against whether it will help or hurt my ability to live according to my guiding principles.

If “making more money” were high in my guiding principles, then I would make a different decision. The guiding principles you set should steer your decisions.

You should periodically revisit this personal framework (e.g. annually). If you are married, you should involve your spouse.

If you set these principles meaningfully, you are setting the foundation upon which you build the rest of your financial strategy relating to income, spending, debt, investing, etc.

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Remember that all you have belongs to God. Manage your money God’s way. Visit GrowGodsMoney.org .

Investing

Should I Buy or Sell Stocks in Today’s Environment?

Sometimes it can be confusing to know whether you should be buying or selling stocks overall.

Should I buy now with both hands because this is as low as the market will go? or should I wait until some world event (or the reality of the poor global economy) triggers a significant pullback? Should I sell everything now at market highs? What should I do?

Avoid investing based on emotions or impulses. Instead, start by developing a longer-term personal financial investing strategy… a plan… and spend time reviewing how to adapt to the current environment. For many, you will want to consult with a professional financial planner or at least a friend or family member who has a greater understanding of investing than you.

For those of you who are not yet in a position to be investing in the stock market, I encourage you to continue working on the basics we cover elsewhere in our teachings… learn to earn an income consistently and then work hard to increase it, learn to budget and save… differentiating “wants” from true “needs”, develop an emergency fund in cash for surprises that always come, give to others in a way that honors God by investing in His kingdom. Your time may yet come when you will be well prepared to invest in stocks. Do not rush it lest you take on risk you are not ready for… as a child sprinting into the street to get his favorite ball, not aware of the oncoming cars.

For those that are in a position to invest in stocks… today’s article is for you. To begin with, you should have a plan before you just buy stocks, so if you are a beginner and not yet in the market, you need to do a bit more homework before you just buy a stock for a company you like because it is less expensive than it was before. This is not a robust strategy. You need diversification, an identified list of goals and objectives, a specific timeline for your investment… you need to be prepared. Plan carefully and seek wise advice. We have covered this too in other articles on our site.

Stocks that are falling, can fall much farther. In financial investing many use a parable of a “falling knife”. In other words, be careful trying to buy into declining stocks to greedily. If they have not found their bottom yet, you may be reaching out to catch “a falling knife”. When you do that… it hurts. As an example to illustrate… you see stocks decline 10% and you jump in with both feet… only to see them decline another 10-15%. Ouch. Let’s hope you don’t then panic and get out before they recover.

On the other hand, stocks that are near all time highs can actually go higher.

If you are a well prepared investor with a solid plan, you have prepared for this market volatility. You have a portion of your investing funds set aside as cash or “dry powder”. In other words, you are anticipating that you will have an opportunity to purchase stocks when there is a decline (ammunition ready to fire when needed). Now… what to buy, how much, when… all still important questions.

It is very important to identify a time horizon for your investing. Most of us should avoid day to day or month to month “trading” and instead focus on longer term investing such as over a few years or even a retirement portfolio. This important perspective is key in identifying what to buy and when and how much.

Dollar cost averaging is your friend. Hopefully you have previously set targets for specific diversification of stocks you would like to have as prices fall that would best diversify and boost your portfolio. This is part of having a plan. Then you buy some as the stock you are following falls. You do not do this on a whim or as a reaction to falling price. You have already done homework and seize the opportunity to invest in something you already targeted and studied. If it was at 100$/share a few months ago, perhaps you set a target to get a starting position (25%) when if pulled back to 95$/share to be followed up with increments again at 90, 80, 70. You do not try to pick the bottom and get all in at that bottom. That does not work.

If you are just now looking for opportunity and have not done a lot of pre-planning… take your time. Look for stability in the market and a support level to be reached that may indicate that the stocks you want have bottomed out… avoid catching the falling knife. You must avoid the temptation to try to pick the bottom. If the stock falls 20%, stabilizes and bounces back up 5%… be content to get a starting position at 15% discount, don’t try to pile all in at the absolute bottom. Greed will cause you great pain. Do your homework while you wait.

Oh… and you almost never want to use all your dry powder quickly because the the market may go lower than you think. You may want some cash left in your account to use over a 3-6 month time period.

If you are fully invested and have no cash position… seriously consider getting some investing help to make good decisions on how to reduce the risk of your portfolio through diversification, stocks with high dividends, and even creating a cash position… yes even if you may have to realize a loss by doing so. Avoid the trap of staying in a bad position in your portfolio just to insist to yourself that it will recover and you did not take a loss on that investment. Do you really want to go hunting a bear (e.g. “bear market”) with no dry powder?

Be careful. Do not be greedy. Avoid impulse and emotion. Hunting bears (e.g. “bear market”) can be dangerous game, and it can also be dangerous to be “all in” when markets are already overpriced and dependent on government manipulation of interest rates.

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Remember that all you have belongs to God. Manage your money God’s way. Visit GrowGodsMoney.org .

Greed, Speculative Investment

Big Gains Typically Come with Big Risk

Do not be greedy for high gains by placing large “bets” on stocks or other investments or pursuing “get rich quick” schemes. Keep in mind a short-term “bet” is very different than a longer-term investment. If quick bets worked without a lot of risk, the person offering the “can’t miss” opportunity would not be trying to get you involved. Instead, they would use their own scheme to get rich and then go about their early retirement or pursuit of more money.

Speculative investment is fine as a diversification but be prepared for any investment to go up or down, no matter who recommends it.

1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Remember that all you have belongs to God. Manage your money God’s way. Visit GrowGodsMoney.org .

Ethics, Greed, Optimizing Life, Plan Carefully and Seek Wise Advice, Proverbs, Treasures In Heaven

Fatherly Advice from God

Our Father loves us dearly. He has provided us with His word to guide us, His Spirit to fill us and help us, and the death of His son to make a way to forgive us. Let us never take that for granted, being complacent in our way of living according to the world’s ways. The world if sinful and not righteous. Let us take His fatherly advice and change how we live to be more like He instructs us.

Proverbs 19

On Life and Conduct

       1Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity
Than he who is perverse in speech and is a fool.

2Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge,
And he who hurries his footsteps errs.

3The foolishness of man ruins his way,
And his heart rages against the LORD.

4Wealth adds many friends,
But a poor man is separated from his friend.

5A false witness will not go unpunished,
And he who tells lies will not escape.

6Many will seek the favor of a generous man,
And every man is a friend to him who gives gifts.

7All the brothers of a poor man hate him;
How much more do his friends abandon him!
He pursues them with words, but they are gone.

8He who gets wisdom loves his own soul;
He who keeps understanding will find good.

9A false witness will not go unpunished,
And he who tells lies will perish.

10Luxury is not fitting for a fool;
Much less for a slave to rule over princes.

11A man’s discretion makes him slow to anger,
And it is his glory to overlook a transgression.

12The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion,
But his favor is like dew on the grass.

13A foolish son is destruction to his father,
And the contentions of a wife are a constant dripping.

14House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers,
But a prudent wife is from the LORD.

15Laziness casts into a deep sleep,
And an idle man will suffer hunger.

16He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul,
But he who is careless of conduct will die.

17One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD,
And He will repay him for his good deed.

18Discipline your son while there is hope,
And do not desire his death.

19A man of great anger will bear the penalty,
For if you rescue him, you will only have to do it again.

20Listen to counsel and accept discipline,
That you may be wise the rest of your days.

21Many plans are in a man’s heart,
But the counsel of the LORD will stand.

22What is desirable in a man is his kindness,
And it is better to be a poor man than a liar.

23The fear of the LORD leads to life,
So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.

24The sluggard buries his hand in the dish,
But will not even bring it back to his mouth.

25Strike a scoffer and the naive may become shrewd,
But reprove one who has understanding and he will gain knowledge.

26He who assaults his father and drives his mother away
Is a shameful and disgraceful son.

27Cease listening, my son, to discipline,
And you will stray from the words of knowledge.

28A rascally witness makes a mockery of justice,
And the mouth of the wicked spreads iniquity.

29Judgments are prepared for scoffers,
And blows for the back of fools.

Take time and dwell on each verse. Which one or two strike you the most as relevant in your life. Pray the Lord helps you to deal with this area of your life and continue your transformation to be more like Him!

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Remember that all you have belongs to God. Manage your money God’s way and use it for His glory rather than your own. Visit GrowGodsMoney.org .

Ethics, Optimizing Life, Treasures In Heaven

At What Cost Do We Pursue Personal Money and Power?

I think most of us would agree that we witness examples in society of greed and pursuit of power in which individuals forsake the ways of God in pursuit of personal money or power. It is easy to look at dramatic examples and pick them out. I hope most of us would agree we would not do as Jehoram did in 2 Chronicles 21. But that is an extreme example.

Jehoram followed Jehoshaphat and Asa as king of Judah, both of whom were generally righteous kings, walking in the ways of David for much of their reign. Jehoram, however, turned away from righteousness and Yah’s way and toward the way of the wicked kings of Israel at that time, like Ahab.

He had every opportunity to continue ruling in a righteous manner according to his family heritage. However, he chose another path… a wicked path which is far from the LORD.

Truly, though we are not all going to be king or ruler with broad authority in our lives, we all must answer this fundamental question:

“At what price will we pursue our own personal wealth and power?”

Another fundamental question would be to really consider, “In whom will we put our trust? Yahweh or ourselves?”

2 Chronicles 21:1-7

Jehoram Succeeds Jehoshaphat in Judah

      1Then Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Jehoram his son became king in his place. 2He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azaryahu, Michael and Shephatiah. All these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. 3Their father gave them many gifts of silver, gold and precious things, with fortified cities in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.

      4Now when Jehoram had taken over the kingdom of his father and made himself secure, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and some of the rulers of Israel also. 5Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 6He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab did (for Ahab’s daughter was his wife), and he did evil in the sight of the LORD. 7Yet the LORD was not willing to destroy the house of David because of the covenant which He had made with David, and since He had promised to give a lamp to him and his sons forever.

Most of us would say something like, “Of course I would never do what he did!” Let us take caution, however and prayerfully reflect, asking the Spirit to guide us and reveal to us any wrong motives or approach in our own lives. It will not always be killing others, but may still be harming others in some way to secure what we want in our own way. It may not be as obvious as a kingdom to rule, but many people act similarly even just for something worth a few hundred or a few thousand dollars. Many go astray and fight over inheritances. Others may fight over positions or promotions at work or even in ministry!

Let us each commit to seek the LORD and follow His ways and trust in Him!

Remember that all you have belongs to God. Manage your money God’s way and use it for His glory rather than your own. Visit GrowGodsMoney.org .

Greed, Optimizing Life, Proverbs, Treasures In Heaven

Better is a Dry Morsel In Peace, than a Feast With Strife

No better place to explore an amazing cache of Father’s financial advice than Proverbs. Read and reread it. Pause and consider it. Pray for the Spirit to enlighten your mind to understanding and application in your life. Do not simply read over it quickly and move on.

Proverbs 17

1Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it
Than a house full of feasting with strife.

2A servant who acts wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully,
And will share in the inheritance among brothers.

3The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,
But the LORD tests hearts.

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18A man lacking in sense pledges
And becomes guarantor in the presence of his neighbor.

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23A wicked man receives a bribe from the bosom
To pervert the ways of justice.

Dwell on these. Truly consider each one, one at a time. There is tremendous wisdom contained within… a Father’s gift to His children.

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Remember that all you have belongs to God. Manage your money God’s way and use it for His glory rather than your own. Visit GrowGodsMoney.org .

Ethics, Greed, Treasures In Heaven

Even The Rich Can Serve God Rather Than Money

In Genesis 14 Abram (later Abraham) returns from a significant military victory in which he saved his nephew Lot along with other captives and many possessions that were taken as plunder of war. He takes nothing of the plunder for himself. He gives a tithe to Melchizedek, identified as both king and priest, returns the captives and the plunder asking only for the food his troops already ate and a share of the goods recovered for his allies.

Genesis 14:17-24

17 After Abram returned from his victory over Kedorlaomer and all his allies, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).

18 And Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High,[d] brought Abram some bread and wine. 19 Melchizedek blessed Abram with this blessing:

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
    Creator of heaven and earth.
20 And blessed be God Most High,
    who has defeated your enemies for you.”

Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had recovered.

21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give back my people who were captured. But you may keep for yourself all the goods you have recovered.”

22 Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I solemnly swear to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, 23 that I will not take so much as a single thread or sandal thong from what belongs to you. Otherwise you might say, ‘I am the one who made Abram rich.’ 24 I will accept only what my young warriors have already eaten, and I request that you give a fair share of the goods to my allies—Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre.”

Abram makes a point to show that he did not fight to get riches. He fought because it was right to do so. It was a righteous battle, rather than one fought for greed or love of money. Abraham is wealthy, but does not serve money. He serves God. He gives to God through the tithe to Melchizedek and asks for some of the goods for his allies. Melchizedek gives praise and honor to God for the victory.

God wants us to follow Abram’s example… to fight righteous battles not for personal gain but to live in accordance with God’s instruction. The battles we are called to fight are not always literal. Often, we are not called to raise sword or spear but rather to speak the truth and stand up for our faith and resist those who wish to silence Christians through fear or persecution. Sometimes it may be choosing those we do business with or vote into political office based on their public demonstration of faith and honoring God instead of someone who is selfish and greedy for power… and helping convince others to do the same.

I would encourage each of us to seek to serve God rather than our own bank account. I also would like to remind people not to judge someone’s righteousness because they are rich or poor. There are some who are poor who are greedy and will lie or steal. There are others who are rich and give generously to help others. Avoid stereotyping.

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Remember that all you have belongs to God. Manage your money God’s way. Visit GrowGodsMoney.org .

False Teaching, Greed, Optimizing Life, Treasures In Heaven

Sharing Among Believers

Many today imagine that a strong federal government that takes from the “rich” and redistributes that to the “poor” is consistent with the sharing of the community of believers in Acts chapter 4. This is quite simply not the case as there are a number of key distinctions we shall cover in this teaching.

Acts 4:32-37

Sharing among Believers

32And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. 33And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. 34For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales 35and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need.

36Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement), 37and who owned a tract of land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

Note that the community of believers in Acts 4 was just that… a community of believers or followers of Jesus Christ. It was not a community involving those who rejected Jesus and lived according to their own desires. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and abundant grace was upon them. Those who rejected the values and teachings of Jesus were not part of this community. This fact is crucial in understanding why this approach worked for the Acts 4 community, but has failed every time a government has tried to employ forced redistribution of wealth among its people throughout time.

Socialism and communism repeatedly fail. Capitalism gives rise to the most prosperity across the population. Even within a somewhat capitalist system, such as the current situation in the USA, the government interference to constantly take money from some to give to others results in a great burden that threatens to collapse the economic success of the nation.

Why? When a strong government forces redistribution among its people, inevitably the government is also denying God’s authority so as to assert its own authority as unchallenged. Further, it includes all manner of people, not just Spirit filled believers. In this, the selfish nature of the unbeliever (and many believers who are struggling to follow Christ fully) is the downfall of these systems. Many people choose not to work or not to work as hard because it does not benefit them personally. On the other hand, in true capitalism, that same selfish nature is channeled across the population to create business, jobs, and wealth. It lifts the economic well being of the whole nation.

For a sharing community to truly work, it must be centered on Christ and include only true followers of Jesus Christ. Those who choose not to work, choose not to eat. All work together to contribute as much as they can and take as little as they absolutely need.

2 Thessalonians 3:6-15

6Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us. 7For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you, 8nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you; 9not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would follow our example. 10For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. 11For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. 12Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread. 13But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary of doing good.

14If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame. 15Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

In the community of Spirit filled believers in Acts, the poor people were likely not acting selfishly any more than the rich. So we can assume they took only what they needed and worked to provide what they could to help others.

Lastly, we must never forget or overlook that it was a community receiving the abundant grace and blessing of God because they honored Him through proclaiming and following the teaching of Jesus Christ! Government can not replace God as our provider and guide for a full and blessed life that our Father wants for each of us.

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Remember that all you have belongs to God. Manage your money God’s way. Visit GrowGodsMoney.org .

Ethics, Generate Income, Plan Carefully and Seek Wise Advice, Proverbs, Treasures In Heaven

Timeless Wisdom for Prosperity and Fulfillment

I am a believer that everyone would do well to read through Proverbs on a recurring basis. Don’t read it once and walk away for years or even months. It is rich with very actionable advice and warnings to help us in life and often very specifically in finances.

Proverbs 14.

Fools often bring trouble on themselves, while the wise avoid it with a healthy fear and respect for the Lord.

1The wise woman builds her house,
But the foolish tears it down with her own hands.

2He who walks in his uprightness fears the LORD,
But he who is devious in his ways despises Him.

3In the mouth of the foolish is a rod for his back,
But the lips of the wise will protect them.

It is understandable to look for ways to save time and energy by reducing the work we need to do… but do not let laziness get in the way of your prospering. Some work is required if you are to do well financially.

4Where no oxen are, the manger is clean,
But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.

Do not lie.

5A trustworthy witness will not lie,
But a false witness utters lies.

Seek understanding. This means you must be humble enough to admit you don’t already have all the answers. You must be willing to admit mistakes and learn. The scoffer mocks others rather than thoughtfully considering a situation and learning from it and thus finds no wisdom. Similarly, don’t hang out with fools or you will share their folly.

6A scoffer seeks wisdom and finds none,
But knowledge is easy to one who has understanding.

7Leave the presence of a fool,
Or you will not discern words of knowledge.

8The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way,
But the foolishness of fools is deceit.

9Fools mock at sin,
But among the upright there is good will.

Seek God’s way rather than your own. He will lead you through righteousness to the path of life and joy.

10The heart knows its own bitterness,
And a stranger does not share its joy.

11The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
But the tent of the upright will flourish.

12There is a way which seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of death.

It is hard to know what someone is really going through or what journey God is leading them on by a quick glance or brief touchpoint. Plug in with those you love and truly engage in a personal way to encourage and support them. Often the Lord leads us to joy at the end of a painful journey.

13Even in laughter the heart may be in pain,
And the end of joy may be grief.

Those who follow after God find satisfaction, but those who go their own way will find empty and unfulfilling results.

14The backslider in heart will have his fill of his own ways,
But a good man will be satisfied with his.

God did not give us such a wonderful creation as a mind of a human just to “turn it off” and believe everything someone tells you. In a world full of evil and selfishness we do well to consider our steps carefully in reference to God’s word. If we choose to act as naïve, the sour results are as much our fault as those who take advantage of us.

15The naive believes everything,
But the sensible man considers his steps.

16A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil,
But a fool is arrogant and careless.

17A quick-tempered man acts foolishly,
And a man of evil devices is hated.

18The naive inherit foolishness,
But the sensible are crowned with knowledge.

God reassures us that ultimately the good will be rewarded and the wicked held accountable. We may not see or recognize how and when, but we can trust that it is so.

19The evil will bow down before the good,
And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

Be aware of sinful human nature. Many will pretend to be friends with the rich for their own benefit. Few, and godly, are those who truly show God’s love to the poor.

20The poor is hated even by his neighbor,
But those who love the rich are many.

21He who despises his neighbor sins,
But happy is he who is gracious to the poor.

Devise good rather than evil. Do so out of motivation to glorify God and not out of your own self interest.

22Will they not go astray who devise evil?
But kindness and truth will be to those who devise good.

The lazy ultimately hold them selves accountable via their own poverty, whether or not they recognize it. It is not exclusively “someone else’s fault”. Work is required to prosper.

23In all labor there is profit,
But mere talk leads only to poverty.

The greatest prize for the wise is godly wisdom itself, rather than financial gain.

24The crown of the wise is their riches,
But the folly of fools is foolishness.

Again… don’t lie. God does not like it.

25A truthful witness saves lives,
But he who utters lies is treacherous.

It is actually healthy to have a reverence or even fear of God. Recognizing that displeasing Him is worse than displeasing men can help us stand in confidence to do what is right and avoid Satan’s traps.

26In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence,
And his children will have refuge.

27The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life,
That one may avoid the snares of death.

Rulers and leaders of nations should treat their people well, for it is from their people that they derive their strength and power and prosper themselves. If the people collapse, the government has nothing.

28In a multitude of people is a king’s glory,
But in the dearth of people is a prince’s ruin.

To be slow to anger is to demonstrate a wise and godly trait and follow our Father’s example. It benefits us richly.

29He who is slow to anger has great understanding,
But he who is quick-tempered exalts folly.

Find peace and contentment in what God provides you. Do not always be chasing something you do not have and do not need.

30A tranquil heart is life to the body,
But passion is rottenness to the bones.

Again… the godly are gracious to the needy.

31He who oppresses the poor taunts his Maker,
But he who is gracious to the needy honors Him.

Again… the wicked will be held to account for their actions and the righteous rewarded.

32The wicked is thrust down by his wrongdoing,
But the righteous has a refuge when he dies.

Again… seek godly wisdom. Do not be content to remain a fool, even if deemed wise by the world.

33Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding,
But in the hearts of fools it is made known.

Righteousness exalts a nation and sin disgraces it. Remember, however, that God defines what is righteous and what is sin. The people themselves do not get a vote or voice in it. If they redefine righteousness they do so at their own peril as a nation and will fool only themselves and like minded fools.

34Righteousness exalts a nation,
But sin is a disgrace to any people.

Be not ashamed of being a servant, whether to God or to an employer or to your family. Focus on acting wisely and pleasing your “master”.

35The king’s favor is toward a servant who acts wisely,
But his anger is toward him who acts shamefully.

Remember that all you have belongs to God. Manage your money God’s way and use it for His glory rather than your own. Visit GrowGodsMoney.org .

Parables, Treasures In Heaven

Give A Man A Fish Or Teach Him How To Fish? How Do We Really Help The Poor?

Many in the world are united in the desire to use their limited resources to help those who are poor and less fortunate or just going through difficult times. Unfortunately, there seems much debate about how best to do so. Whether as an individual, family, community, church, or nation, we must ask ourselves the following question.

“How do we efficiently use limited resources to help as many as possible?”

Common sense and life experience should easily show us that if we simply give money away to everyone who asks without limit or boundary any individual or even a nation will quickly find themselves bankrupt. If you don’t agree… do an experiment with your own money or resources. Set aside a set amount you can afford to lose and offer it to anyone that asks in any amount they ask. You will not long have money to help people and in fact you likely did not help as many people as you could have if you were more disciplined and structured in your approach.

So then, how to proceed? Let us begin with the story of two fishing villages a long time ago.

In each village lived one man who knew how to fish and fish well. Both men prospered.

One day a hungry man came to the fisherman in the first village and asked for help. The fisherman wanted to help so he gave him a fish. The next day the hungry man came back and brought friends and the fisherman again gave them fish. “I can fish a little longer to help others”, he thought. The pattern continued for weeks, each day the crowd was bigger. Eventually the fisherman was discouraged. He could no longer catch enough fish to help everyone. Not only were people going hungry, but they were now angry with him also, shouting “You helped others, why will you not help us?!” Finally, the man was not able to even feed his own family on what he kept for himself and he left the village for another. The village now was left with many looking for free fish, but no one there to provide them.

In the second village, the story begins like the first. A hungry man came to him one day, asking for help. The fisherman gave the man a fish because he saw that he was very hungry. But before the hungry man left, the fisherman also offered that if he would return tomorrow, the fisherman would teach the hungry man how to fish on his own. The hungry man agreed. The fisherman challenged the hungry man that he would offer him lessons only for a short while and offer him free fish even shorter time than that. The hungry man thought this was more than fair… after all, the fisherman owed him nothing… and he was very eager to learn. He showed up early and stayed as late as the fisherman was willing to teach him. He paid close attention and asked good questions. He learned. At the end of the time both were good fishermen. By that time a crowd of others had made a practice to come by to watch. They, too, were hungry and wanted to learn how to fish. Now the two fishermen were able to teach more and when that class learned to fish their impact was even greater. Each new student not only received food to meet their needs for a short while, but then also learned how to provide for themselves and their families. At the end of each class, there were more who knew how to fish and were willing to teach others. The whole village learned to fish and provide for their families. Before long they even heard of a village down the river that was going hungry and a group of them started off to go teach those people how to fish.

Which fisherman truly helped the poor more effectively? The first did for awhile, but then his efforts collapsed. They were unsustainable. The second created capability within those in need to provide for themselves while meeting their immediate needs for a short while. The impact of the second was much more sustainable and changed lives.

Whether an individual, family, community, church, or nation… giving away free stuff without limitations and boundaries to all who ask for as long as they ask encourages sloth and laziness and in the end is unsustainable. At the very least, it does not multiply the impact of the help as effectively as teaching others to be able to provide for themselves and then teach yet more people how to do so.

The most significant example of the success of this strategy may actually surprise you. It started over two thousand years ago with a poor carpenter who had a very important message to share with the world. He helped many people, feeding the poor, healing the sick, and sharing His message with people. His ministry lasted only three years and yet it has global implications even today, over 2000 years later. That carpenter was Jesus Christ.

Jesus took time to help those in immediate need, and did so with great compassion. However, he ensured that he also invested time in teaching his 12 disciples how to learn and then teach others. Additionally, he spent even more dedicated time and invested more in three closest to him… Peter, James, and John. This method that Jesus used is called discipleship. He made disciples, or “learners” who then could go and teach others. It creates a wonderful multiplication effect that magnifies the impact of what you are trying to accomplish.

If Jesus had not focused his efforts through discipleship, but rather only spent all his time meeting the short term needs of the poor, the message would have been contained and died with him or at best with his closest followers.

We should take similar approach in our efforts to help people both physically and spiritually today. Help to meet the immediate needs, within established boundaries and guidelines that help ensure sustainability and teach and prepare those in need how to grow and develop skills to take care of themselves so they are not dependent forever on an individual… a church… or a nation’s government. When individuals are completely dependent on another in this way, they become like slaves or indentured servants rather than enjoying the fullness of freedom God intended for them.

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