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It’s Only Money – Part 5

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We are continuing today on our “It’s Only Money” trek. In each of our Wisdom Notes, we are exploring a different trail on our trek to true wealth. As we work hard and follow sound principles to acquire wealth, it is very important that we know which trails not to hike. Those are the dangerous trails that would cause us to lose everything that we have gained.

During the first four weeks on our money trek, we looked at the Book of Proverbs as we focused on a proper attitude toward money and the acquisition of money. Now we will concentrate on what Proverbs tells us about how not to lose money.

How NOT to Lose Money

As well as teaching us how to acquire money, Proverbs warns us of the many ways in which we can quickly lose money. The following are some of the most commonly mentioned pitfalls.

1. Don’t be lazy.

A lazy person not only fails to obtain wealth because of his laziness, but he also neglects the resources he has.

Proverbs 24:31-31, “I walked by the field of a lazy person, the vineyard of one with no common sense. I saw that it was overgrown with nettles. It was covered with weeds, and its walls were broken down.”

“If you are too lazy to take care of what you already have, it will soon come to ruins.”

Proverbs 27:23-27, “Know the state of your flocks, and put your heart into caring for your herds, for riches don’t last forever, and the crown might not be passed to the next generation. After the hay is harvested and the new crop appears and the mountain grasses are gathered in, your sheep will provide wool for clothing, and your goats will provide the price of a field. And you will have enough goats’ milk for yourself, your family, and your servant girls.”

2. Don’t be greedy.

Strangely enough, if you are greedy it will often contribute to being in poverty.

Proverbs 11:6, “The godliness of good people rescues them; the ambition of treacherous people traps them.”

Proverbs 28:22, “Greedy people try to get rich quick but don’t realize they’re headed for poverty.”

Many company advertisements appeal to greed and pride. The companies have just the answer for us – a “limited time opportunity” that will fulfill our “needs.” We see it so often in our society today because most people want instant everything, including wealth.

Proverbs 13:11, “Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time.”

Proverbs 26:16, “Lazy people consider themselves smarter than seven wise counselors.”

Proverbs 24:30, “I walked by the field of a lazy person, the vineyard of one with no common sense.”

3. Don’t be impulsive.

If you are an impulse buyer, whether it is with things small or large, you will soon see any wealth accumulated quickly slip through your fingers. Worse yet is when you use credit to make impulsive purchases. Proverbs warns that being greedy and impulsive brings about poverty.

Proverbs 21:5, “Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.”

Marketers of all kinds of products and services entice all of us with sales through deadlines and scarcity. A good practice for you to follow is to ask yourself these questions before buying something on sale.

  • Is it a need?
  • Do I have money available for it that is not already allocated for something else?
  • Would I buy it if it were not on sale or there was not a limited time or allocation?(If your answer is no to this one, then it is not a need.)
  • Can this purchased be delayed? (There will always be another sale.)

4. Don’t associate with the wrong people.

Proverbs 5:7-10, “So now, my sons, listen to me. Never stray from what I am about to say: Stay away from her! Don’t go near the door of her house! If you do, you will lose your honor and will lose to merciless people all you have achieved. Strangers will consume your wealth, and someone else will enjoy the fruit of your labor.”

Proverbs 23:20-21, “Do not carouse with drunkards or feast with gluttons, for they are on their way to poverty, and too much sleep clothes them in rags.”

I know what the world thinks about “wine, women, and song,” but Proverbs warns us that it will be a pretty sad song when you are seduced by sex and alcohol.

5. Don’t waste money on extravagant living.

It is not wise when you consume too much while saving too little. Most financial problems stem from buying stuff you don’t really need with money that you don’t really have. Learn to live simply and be satisfied with what you can afford without borrowing. If you are not satisfied when you have a little, you will never be satisfied when you have more.

Proverbs 21:20, “The wise have wealth and luxury, but fools spend whatever they get.”

Do not live extravagantly. This can be compared to…

Proverbs 25:16, “Do you like honey? Don’t eat too much, or it will make you sick!”

Living frugally is the habit and practice of the wealthiest people in the world.

“Practicing frugality is good discipline.”

6. Don’t borrow money for non-essential items.

Consumerism in America has become a great problem because we have become accustomed to being able to buy what we cannot afford on a little piece of plastic called the credit card. As I grow older, and hopefully wiser, the more I realize that borrowing money should be reserved only for extreme emergencies, or for items that actually increase in value, such as a modest home. It is foolish to borrow money for stuff you don’t absolutely need. Learn to enjoy a life of simplicity without all of the trappings.

“Anytime you owe money to someone else, you have become their servant.”

Proverbs 22:7, “Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender.”

Another area that Proverbs warns us many times is the danger of guaranteeing someone else’s debt. If another person cannot afford to make the purchase, then it is a strong indicator of their ability to pay. Maybe we would do them a bigger favor if they were forced to wait on the purchase until they can afford it themselves.

Proverbs 6:1-5, “My child, if you have put up security for a friend’s debt or agreed to guarantee the debt of a stranger — if you have trapped yourself by your agreement and are caught by what you said — follow my advice and save yourself, for you have placed yourself at your friend’s mercy. Now swallow your pride; go and beg to have your name erased. Don’t put it off; do it now! Don’t rest until you do. Save yourself like a gazelle escaping from a hunter, like a bird fleeing from a net.”

Proverbs 17:18, “It’s poor judgment to guarantee another person’s debt or put up security for a friend.”

Proverbs 22:26-27, “Don’t agree to guarantee another person’s debt or put up security for someone else. If you can’t pay it, even your bed will be snatched from under you.”

While in reality there may be some circumstance that it is necessary to guarantee the debt of a family member, you should only do so if you are fully prepared and capable of paying off the debt if it is not paid by that person.

On a personal note, in the last few years, Paula and I have made it a policy to not guarantee or co-sign debt of anyone. If a family member is truly in need, we have decided to give the money to the person, with no real expectation that it will be paid back. If it is paid back, then great. But if not, then that is between that person and their creator. We have seen and heard of too many families splitting over finances, and we all need to realize that it’s only money!

In our next Wisdom Note, we will explore the Biblical priorities for the use of money.

It’s Only Money – Part 4

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We are continuing today on our “It’s Only Money” trek. In each of our Wisdom Notes, we are exploring a different trail on our trek to true wealth. Today we will see what part wisdom plays on the “Acquisition of Money” trail.

During the first three weeks on our money trek, we looked at the Book of Proverbs as we focused on a proper attitude toward money. Now we will concentrate on what Proverbs tells us about the making and spending of money. Today is filled with bullet points from Proverbs as we gather many wisdom nuggets along the trail.

Wisdom and the Acquisition of Money

It matters a great deal how money is obtained. Proverbs reminds us that God is concerned with the way you earn a living. God is not indifferent to the way you obtain money.

Proverbs 16:11, “The Lord demands accurate scales and balances; he sets the standards for fairness.”

Proverbs 22:22-23, “Don’t rob the poor just because you can, or exploit the needy in court. For the Lord is their defender. He will ruin anyone who ruins them.”

Money which is gained in an ungodly way will not bring us any lasting benefit; instead, it will bring about our own misery.

Proverbs 10:2, “Tainted wealth has no lasting value, but right living can save your life.”

Proverbs 11:18, “Evil people get rich for the moment, but the reward of the godly will last.”

Proverbs 20:17, “Stolen bread tastes sweet, but it turns to gravel in the mouth.”

Proverbs 21:6, “Wealth created by a lying tongue is a vanishing mist and a deadly trap.”

Some people make money by questionable, if not illegal, means and then attempt to salve their consciences by giving a portion to the church or charity. In their minds, benevolence is the end that justifies their corrupt means.The tragedy is that there are all too many churches and organizations that are eager to relieve the guilt of unprincipled men by taking their money, helping them feel good about their dishonesty.

Proverbs tells us that no sacrifice is pleasing to God that is wrongly gained.

Proverbs 21:3, “The Lord is more pleased when we do what is right and just
than when we offer him sacrifices.”

Proverbs 21:27, “The sacrifice of an evil person is detestable, especially when it is offered with wrong motives.”

These principles sum up the teaching of Proverbs on how we should acquire money. Let me share this wisdom with a brief word of explanation on each.

1. Money should not be pursued without a cost to us.

You might call this the principle of toil and time. The fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden took place many centuries before Proverbs was written. The curse which God placed on man is found in.

Genesis 3:17, “And to the man he said, ‘Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.'”

There is an underpinning of this principle of toil and time.
Money should not be sought without toil or hard work,
Money should not be sought without an investment of our time.
Money obtained too easily or quickly will soon be gone.

Proverbs 10:4, “Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich.”

Proverbs 12:11, “A hard worker has plenty of food, but a person who chases fantasies has no sense.”

Proverbs 14:23, “Work brings profit, but mere talk leads to poverty!”

Proverbs 20:13, “If you love sleep, you will end in poverty. Keep your eyes open, and there will be plenty to eat!”

Proverbs 20:21, “An inheritance obtained too early in life is not a blessing in the end.”

The opposite of diligence and hard work is laziness. The lazy seek to avoid work altogether. Since they must make money to live, they turn toward schemes and get-rich-quick offers. Proverbs teaches us that these alternatives to work will not succeed.

2. Money should not be gained at the price of principle.

Proverbs 10:2 calls money acquired at the expense of principle “tainted wealth.” Other proverbs are more specific as to the principles which we dare not violate in the pursuit of an income. The following five principles are those that we ought never to violate in the making of money.

3. Money should not be gained at the expense of truth.

Proverbs 20:17, “Stolen bread tastes sweet, but it turns to gravel in the mouth.”

Proverbs 21:6, “Wealth created by a lying tongue is a vanishing mist and a deadly trap.”

4. Money should not be gained at the expense of justice.

Proverbs 16:8, “Better to have little, with godliness, than to be rich and dishonest.”

Proverbs 13:11, “Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time.”

Proverbs 29:4, “A just king gives stability to his nation, but one who demands bribes destroys it.”

5. Money should not be gained at the expense of others.

Proverbs 22:22, “Don’t rob the poor just because you can, or exploit the needy in court.”

Proverbs 28:24, “Anyone who steals from his father and mother and says, ‘What’s wrong with that?’ is no better than a murderer.”

Proverbs 28:8, “Income from charging high interest rates, will end up in the pocket of someone who is kind to the poor.”

6. Money should not be gained at the expense of right living.

Proverbs 10:2, “Tainted wealth has no lasting value, but right living can save your life.”

Proverbs 11:18, “Evil people get rich for the moment, but the reward of the godly will last.”

7. Money should not be acquired at the expense of priorities.

We can agree, I believe, that we should never do anything that is illegal wicked or immoral in order to gain wealth. Proverbs carries this principle even further, we should not sacrifice any biblical priority or compromise our integrity to earn money either.

Since there are many things in life more important than money, our efforts to earn money should never rearrange these priorities. For example, this week we already learned that a happy home is more important than a prosperous one.

Proverbs 15:17, “A bowl of vegetables with someone you love is better than steak with someone you hate.”

Proverbs 17:1, “Better a dry crust eaten in peace than a house filled with feasting — and conflict.”

The pursuit of money should never take a toll on your home, life, truth, justice, relationship with others, or personal integrity.

“Priorities should not be laid aside or rearranged in the making of money.”

In our next Wisdom Note, we will explore on how to keep money once it is earned.

It’s Only Money – Part 3

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In our past couple of Wisdom Notes, we started down new trails in a series “It’s Only Money” with the theme of being on the trail of true riches. Last week we hiked along the trails of “What Money Cannot Do For You” and “What Money Will Do For You.” On both trails, we came to understand that money does not bring lasting security because we will never have enough. Money can also sprout wings and fly off like an eagle leaving us to wonder where it has gone. I know that you can probably relate to this. I know I can.

This week we are going to examine the trail of “Money Attitudes.” So, let’s head on up the yellow brick trail to a land of financial contentment. This may very well be a foreign country to you.

There are a number of principles in the Book of Proverbs that should shape our attitude toward money.

Some of these principles are:

1. Neither the possession of money nor the lack of it is proof of your goodness or worthiness.

Within the faith community of our day, there are some that indicate that prosperity is proof of godliness. The rich, they suppose, are wealthy because they are more worthy. This camp gets caught up by the trappings of affluence. In other religious groups, there is a spoken or unspoken code that austerity of others is the sign of being spiritual, so their poverty becomes proof of goodness.

Both of these views are wrong for several reasons.

  • First, you may be rich for the wrong reasons. Illegal commerce or bad behavior, for example, could be the means by which you prosper.
  • Likewise, you may be poor for reasons other than being lazy. Some are poor due to injustice, not
    • Proverbs 13:23, “A poor person’s farm may produce much food, but injustice sweeps it all away.”
    • Proverbs 19:22, “Loyalty makes a person attractive. It is better to be poor than dishonest.”

Money is never an indicator of morality. What most of us fail to grasp is that money is completely amoral. It all comes from the heart and mind. It is how you handle the wealth that you do have that is important. Don’t judge others by their perceived lifestyles.

“It is how you handle the wealth that you do have that is important. “

Proverb 13:7 shows why we should not judge by outward appearance, “Some who are poor pretend to be rich; others who are rich pretend to be poor.”

True riches can never be measured in terms of money.

2. God has not promised to make every good or godly person wealthy.

The question which you must first ask is, “Does God in His Word promise to financially prosper you? Is there a formula that will guarantee you financial success?” To be dogmatic about these questions would be foolish.

This is particularly difficult to understand in our western societies. Even the poorest of people would be considered wealthy in many other places of the world. Regardless of where you live or your standard of living, there are certain principles in the Bible that, if followed, will allow you to build wealth into your lives. These principles are no different than the principles in other areas of life such as eating properly, getting exercise, or sleeping. If you abuse any of these areas you will have negative consequences. It goes back to the laws of planting and harvesting.

Before we attempt to become wealthy, a more appropriate goal is to become financially free.

“When you become financially free you then have the freedom to make choices in life.”

Becoming wealthy, or at least financially free, is simple and yet so few people obtain this freedom. Essentially there are there are 4 basic steps to financial freedom.

  1. Spend less than you make. Live modestly, and remember there are very few real “needs.”
  2. Never borrow money with the possible exception of a modest home.
  3. Invest at least 10%. This could be investing in your own business or yourself personally.
  4. Give at least 10% to those in need. Practice helping others on a personal level, for it is then that it becomes real.

But you might ask, “Guthrie that is all well and good, but I am in a heap of hurt financially right now. What do I do?” I believe one of the best plans to get out of that trap is the one that Dave Ramsey’s organization has laid out. You can find that at daveramsey.com/baby-steps.

How we handle money and whether we become wealthy is more of a mindset than mystery. I personally believe that God controls everything within the universe, including our small amount of wealth.

When Job went through his trials he proclaimed, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!” Job 1:21. So, no matter how much wealth you have or don’t have, at best it is only yours to manage for the few short years that you are alive. So, manage well.

3. Proverbs never encourages us to desire to be wealthy, but to make every sacrifice to be wise.

“We are to seek for wisdom as if it were wealth.”

Proverbs 2:1-11

My child, listen to what I say,
and treasure my commands.
Tune your ears to wisdom,
and concentrate on understanding.

Cry out for insight,
and ask for understanding.

Search for them as you would for silver;
seek them like hidden treasures.

Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord,
and you will gain knowledge of God.

For the Lord grants wisdom!
From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest.
He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.

He guards the paths of the just
and protects those who are faithful to him.

Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair,
and you will find the right way to go.

For wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will fill you with joy.

Wise choices will watch over you.
Understanding will keep you safe.

Just think of it. If you seek wisdom first, not only will you have the treasure of wisdom and understanding, you will also have the ability to make wise choices to become wealthy in all areas of life.

Now that is true wealth. Next week in our Wisdom Note, we will explore the connection between wisdom and money.

It’s Only Money – Part 2

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In our previous Wisdom Note, we started down the money trail with a new series “It’s Only Money” and the theme of being on the trail of true riches, and we discovered that several items are. Today we are going to explore a couple more precepts about money. So, let’s head on up the yellow brick trail to our land of true wealth as we explore what money cannot do for you.

What Money Cannot Do For You

“Money isn’t everything,” someone has been quoted as saying “but it’s a long way ahead of whatever is in second place.” Proverbs informs us, however, that not only is money not in first place, but it is not even in the running for second place. One reason is that money simply cannot purchase those things in life which are most important.

1. Money cannot buy you security.

There are two primary reasons why money fails to make you secure. The first is that money simply cannot purchase security, for security cannot be bought. There are those who deceive themselves by thinking that wealth offers them security, but this is only imaginary.

Proverbs 18:11, “The rich think of their wealth as a strong defense; they imagine it to be a high wall of safety.”

The second reason money cannot offer us security is that wealth itself is often only temporary. Not only does our wealth fail to make us secure, our wealth itself is insecure.

Proverbs 23:4-5, “Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit. In the blink of an eye wealth disappears, for it will sprout wings and fly away like an eagle.”

During the great recession of 2008, millions of people lost large portions of their retirements that they had worked so hard for. Millions of others lost their homes and possessions. We cannot place our hope in money as security because remember “It’s Only Money.”

2. Money cannot buy you wisdom.

Proverbs 17:16, “It is senseless to pay to educate a fool, since he has no heart for learning.”

3. Money cannot provide you with life’s most precious gift.

We know that money cannot buy true friends because bought “friends” will forsake us when our time of need arrives.

Proverbs 19:7, “The relatives of the poor despise them; how much more will their friends avoid them! Though the poor plead with them, their friends are gone.”

The Prodigal Son in Luke 15 illustrates this principle clearly, but we will leave that story for another day.

I can attest personally to the fact that a godly wife cannot be purchased, but is a gift of God’s grace. Paula is my gift of God’s grace.

Proverbs 18:22, “The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the Lord.”

Proverbs 19:14, “Fathers can give their sons an inheritance of houses and wealth, but only the Lord can give an understanding wife.”

One of my virtual mentors, Zig Ziglar, puts it this way, “Money will buy you a bed, but not a good night sleep; a house, but not a home; a companion, but not a friend.”

4. God’s grace cannot be bought with money.

God’s grace is never obtained by any contribution from man. Because of this, money cannot reconcile you to Him, and it often produces pride and self-confidence which only drives you farther from Him.

Proverbs 11:4, “Riches won’t help on the day of judgment, but right living can save you from death.”

Proverbs 11:6, “The godliness of good people rescues them; the ambition of treacherous people traps them.”

Proverbs 11:28, “Trust in your money and down you go! But the godly flourish like leaves in spring.”

While it may not be accurate to say that the “best things in life are free,” it at least should be evident that the best things in life cannot be purchased with money.

What Money Will Do For You

Anyone who has gone from poverty to prosperity can testify that money will produce results. Money can be very positive when used properly. If we are not careful, though, there are some aspects of money that are not very beneficial. Let us consider some of the effects which wealth may produce in our lives – further evidence that money, if not handled wisely, is not all it is purported to be.

1. You can be assured that money will attract “friends.”

Proverbs teaches us that money adds friends while poverty removes them.

Proverbs 19:4, “Wealth makes many “friends”; poverty drives them all away.”

Proverbs 19:6, “Many seek favors from a ruler; everyone is the friend of a person who gives gifts!”

Growing up on the farm and apple orchard, we were not wealthy at all. There were 10 kids in the family, 1 bathroom, and limited well water. While I never realized that we were probably considered poor, I do remember that those who were wealthy were not very friendly to us. I also remember mom quoting Ben Franklin, “Now that I have a sheep and a goat, everyone bids me good morrow.”

2. Money tends to give the rich a false sense of security.

In a passage which we have already noted, we are told that the rich tend to find a false sense of well-being in their wealth.

Proverbs 18:11, “The rich think of their wealth as a strong defense; they imagine it to be a high wall of safety.”

3. Money can produce pride and apathy towards others.

The reality of life is that the poor man who wonders where his next meal is coming from is more attuned to spiritual things than is the rich, who seemingly has no worry about such things.

Proverbs 28:11, “Rich people may think they are wise, but a poor person with discernment can see right through them.”

Agur, the godly man of Proverbs chapter 30, had a balanced approach to riches when he petitioned God in verse 9, “For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.”

These are all good points to consider in your pursuit of wealth.In our next Wisdom Note, we will explore Money Attitudes.