Proverbs 10:4 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.
This passage of scripture contains one of the more important lessons we were forced to learn as a nation, after the recent great recession had settled across the country like a pall of death. Thousands of shops and other enterprises went out of business and our nation was brought to its knees, with regulators facing the prospect of going over the proverbial financial cliff. This need not have been the case if the core principles contained in the scriptures, pertaining to good stewardship, had been diligently adhered to. On of the main problems we are plagued with as a nation and as individuals is the tendency to spend profusely without restraint in times of plenty, not considering that changes in fortune will always come, since nothing lasts forever. Wanton waste and unrestrained spending characterized the boom years, prior to the great recession, and this attitude was observed by Solomon, even in his day. Let's read:
Ecclesiastes 5:10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity. 11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?
Christians should not be saddled with insurmountable debt if it can be avoided, for when this takes place, God's name suffers reproach on account of our mismanagement. The habit of impulsive spending, where purchases are driven by emotions, feelings, and the promptings of our senses, is productive of great evil, and usually leads individuals to buy items that were not needed, nor were given due consideration, before the purchase was made. As faithful stewards we should seek to honor God in everything that we do, and wherever debt can be avoided, we should shun it like the plague.
Another point that should receive due consideration by the Christian is the tendency to take out lines of credit, or mortgages on our homes to do upgrades, to take vacations, or to make purchases that are not absolutely necessary, without seriously considering the cost and the wherewithal to repay the lenders. This particular problem is not new, for there is nothing new under the sun, and the same scenario had surfaced in the days of Nehemiah, with negative consequences that were similarly devastating. Let's read:
Nehemiah 5:5 And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews. 3 Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth. 4 There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards. 6 And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.
After our tithes and offerings have been set aside first, a percentage of our earnings should be put aside for savings, and for emergencies, and these funds should not be used unless it's absolutely necessary to do so, and even when this is the case, a plan to replenish the depleted funds should be embarked upon, so as to have some level of financial stability or security. This is not merely a personal opinion, it is a scriptural teaching that can be found in the very first command God gave to man, even before the Sabbath institution was given. Let's read:
Genesis 1:28 "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth" .........
The word "Replenish" means to put back that which was used, and if this instruction is followed on a consistent basis, we will find that there will most likely be sufficient funds to ride out the "Rainy days", for the rainy days will certainly come.
This world is not our home, and the Lord does not require, nor advise that we be consumed with the cares of this life, however, He is very practical in the instructions He gives us, and if we were to implement them on a uniform basis, we would find that many of life's troubles can be avoided. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which reminds us of one of the great lessons learned from our previous experiences, and it is God's will that we learn from past mistakes. Let's read:
Philippians 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
May God add His blessing to the doing of His every word. God bless!