In my last blog, I introduced my ‘Theory of God-nomics”, and so today I would like to expand on that by first introducing the following statistic from the anti-poverty charity; Oxfam.
“As of January 17th, 2016, just 62 people, 53 of them men, own as much wealth as the poorest half of the entire world population, or 3.6 billion people, and the richest 1 percent own the other 99 percent put together.”
So … having said that, I would like to take this time to talk about financial resources management, and how I think we’ve always been chosen to be the primary “channel’ of blessings for all of Gods wealth, and yes I’m saying it’s his wealth and not yours or mine! To cling to our wealth, when so many people struggle to simply exist is ludicrous, so I’ll start this conversation by establishing the source of our wealth, real ownership, the means to it, and the purpose for it.
- ”For every beast of the forest is mine. And the cattle on a thousand hills.” – Psalm 50:10
- “The silver is mine and the gold is mine.” – Haggai 2:8
- “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! – Deuteronomy 30:19
- “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:19
- “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. – James 1:17
- “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?” – 1 John 3:17
- “Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone – especially to those in the family of faith.” – Galatians 6:10
To me, it’s fairly clear. I should be sharing what I have with others. I should be grateful for my health, and that I can work and earn a living. I should be trusting in God to provide me and my family with what we need. Money is a powerful tool and it can accomplish many things, but I think the greatest use for it, is in helping others. Every day the media bombards us with the message that we need to focus on ourselves, it’s all about our desires, it’s a constant “what’s in it for me?” attitude that smothers us from the moment we get up till we lay down for rest. How foolish. How ‘draining’ to chase the dollar every day. And, if you know me, you’ll likely have heard me say this before; we live in ‘the land flowing with milk and honey’. Canada has many resources and riches, and I think that for most of us, personally, we can give a little more to those in need wherever they may be. After all, you can’t take it with you when you die and how much do you really need right now?
In my next blog in this series, God-nomics 301, I’ll be focusing on three things: 1) giving verses receiving, 2) RRSP’s and what your real retirement plan should look like, and 3) your ROI – Return on Investment. Till then, I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New year! Christmas is a wonderful time of year. It’s a time when we celebrate the greatest gift of all, the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Blessings, Joe
