I was pretty much out of ideas on what to write here. I wanted to write about Solomon and the temple but I would need to cross-read 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles to get the full account. Now, I decide to drop a random post. This time, it’s about money. Right now, the money market is rather cheap. I beg people to kindly stop using it as a red alarm concerning Revelation 6. The economic crisis spoken in Revelation 6 is during the Tribulation Period. I believe an economic crisis is a sign of the times. However, Jesus also warned in Matthew 24:36 that the day and the hour, no man knows but His Father only. Jesus had voluntarily suspended certain attributes (and He had to truly learn things) so He didn’t know (at that time) when the Father will return. Jesus knows in His divinity but not during His earthly ministry.
There are people who really have an attitude towards money. Some people just love money. 1 Timothy 6:10 warns that the love of money is another root of all kinds of evil. It’s not money that’s condemned but greed. 1 Timothy 6:17-19 tells us that those who are rich should use their wealth wisely. Do you gather wealth for good reasons or bad reasons? If you’re wealthy then use the wealth wisely. It’s like using the money to donate to charity, create jobs, help others, and sustain your family, and not for selfish pursuits. This is where money is a good servant but a horrible master. Either your money is in control of you (which results in either being stingy or being a spendthrift) or you are in control of your money. Men are to be masters of their money and not the other way around.
I was looking at the Tecarta Bible commentaries for help. Presbyterian commentator Dr. Matthew Henry said, “The plenty obtained by prudence, industry, and frugality, is desirable. But the foolish misspend what they have upon their lusts.” The Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible says that wise men, by diligence and care, lay up and increase wealth, while fools will just splurge on it. John Gill also has the same comment with wasting resources. This isn’t about getting wealth fast but honestly and patiently gathering it. Nothing’s wrong with being rich but it’s wrong to be rich if you got rich by dishonest gains.
That’s why Proverbs 21:17 also warns that pleasure-seekers or hedonists will be poor. Sure, some of them may still be rich now but worldly riches will deteriorate. I expect any time esoon that God may allow Satan to curse me like Job did. I could expect that maybe, God to humble me, will put me in financial difficulty. Psalm 30:6 has David saying, “In my prosperity, I said, I will not be moved.” I have said that sinfully many times either in my heart or openly back when I was a teenager. People can feel very secure as if they can’t be moved. That’s why some people spend money like it’ll never run out. Some may even brag that they don’t fear failing in school because of wealthy parents. However, money will run out quicker than one thinks. I remembered overspending once and I nearly ran out of money. I remembered somebody borrowed money and never paid back. Some get buried in debt because they’re lovers of pleasure.
Besides, the parables of the New Testament also included the Parable of the talents which is 16-20 years worth of salary (Matthew 25:14-30) and the Parable of the 10 minas which is three months’ wages (Luke 19:11-27). We could easily talk about the wicked servant as a false convert in both situations. I still think the Master purposely gave only one talent to the fake servant to expose the impostor that the other two faithful ones were unaware. In the case of the Parable of the 10 Minas–it must’ve been the same reason too. I guess the servants were all too dumb to spot a fake in their midst. They were wise to invest but failed to spot a fake servant. I think the master in both stories (both representing God) knew there was a double-agent in his midst and used a tiny amount (for him, at least) to expose the traitor wisely and with evidence. It seems that the false servants also prefigured Judas Iscariot’s betrayal. Either way, we see that Jesus has it that Christian responsibility often involves a wise use of money. The other disciples wisely managed the money (even if they did have mistakes) but Judas Iscariot was a thief and a false servant. Judas iscariot was technically a servant but never a true servant in the spiritual sense.
The parables of about money also reveal wise stewardship. The mention of putting the money in the bank was also mentioned. We start to put money in the bank for a rainy day or for our expenses. It can also be reflected of our attitude towards our salaries and earnings. Do we spend our salaries and earnings for pleasure until it’s consumed and get stuck in debt which is most likely not to be paid? Do we budget the money to make sure that we’re able to survive a rainy day? Part of these would be investing some money in insurances (such as health insurance), stocks (either direct trading or through mutual funds, feeder funds, or index funds), bonds (loaning money to the government), time deposits,etc. while setting budget for different types of expenses. One wisely has a savings account for emergency purposes, gets insurance just-in-case something happens (and insurances get voided by foul play), and investing money for returns in the future. The productive servants managed to double the money.
Proverbs 13:7 also say that there are rich people who pretend to be poor and vice-versa. Some people end up becoming poor or staying poor due to a materialistic lifestyle. Talk about borrowing money (and never intending to return it) to support a materialistic lifestyle. Some people got into cryptocurrency and gambling because of a materialistic lifestyle. In the end, they become poor yet it’s hard to get out of a materialistic mindset. That’s why they’re so easily recruited into criminal activities such as crypto-scams, leftist movements, etc.–it’s all linked to greed. These things could’ve been avoided if they knew how to be wise with resources.
Though, the best way to approach wise stewardship of money is Proverbs 30:7-9. Give me neither poverty nor riches is the call. It’s like investing the money not to satisfy one’s greed but to secure the generational wealth. It’s teaching children to invest money not to compete them against each other but to teach them financial security. It would be that you don’t spend too much or too little. That’s how the wise wil handle their resources.
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