Verse of the Day - Proverbs 13:11

Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow. ~ Proverbs 13:11 (NIV)

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(ya know, it's a funny thing -- guess what happens when one forgets to set their alarm clock? duh -- they don't wake up until they only have 15 minutes before having to leave for work. Yeah, you guessed it -- that was me this morning. So, please allow me to replay VOTD from 9/5/07 for today. Thanks!....Joelene)

The New Living Translation (NLT) says it this way...

Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time.

Money is money, right? I mean, if you have $1,000 in your hands, right now, it doesn't really matter how you aquired it, from a monetary standpoint. It's still $1,000. So how does it either disappear quickly, or grow over time? How does the method of acquisition affect the end result?

I think God made us human beings to appreciate hard work. Because God appreciates hard work. He doesn't like lazy. It gives the attitude that others should do things for me, and allow me to couchpotato. It creates burden for some, and lack of responsibility for others. When we work hard, we feel good about it, and definitely appreciate the outcome more than if someone handed the outcome to us on a silver platter. Just ask any parent of a teenager...

It is one of the seven wonders of the teenage world that when you give them $200 for school clothes, they come back from the mall with a pair of jeans and two t-shirts! But make them use their own money, and let me tell you -- it's a whole new ball game! All of a sudden, "$100 for a pair of jeans is a lot of money, Mom..." The light bulb begins to brighten as they start to understand "the value of a dollar" (as our parents and grandparents used to say), after they worked 2-3 full days at the local fast-food joint to earn that money. Suddenly, priorities change, and what seemed so important to buy when it was mom and dad's money, isn't so important now when digging into their own wallet.

So, when we become adults, do we learn this lesson, or do we continue to fall into this mentality? Take credit, for example. Businesses constantly lure us with "no money down, no payments til 2011!", and other incentives to buy their product on credit. But it can be such a trap from several vantage points. First, we probably don't need whatever it is they're selling. Second, the minimum payment schedule and interest rate will shackle you for YEARS! (please don't think that businesses are so benevolent that they just want to help you have beautiful furniture at great rates because they are such nice guys ... not on your life! they are out to make $$$).

I look at those who have made a lot of money in a short period of time....lottery winners, movie stars, professional athletes. So much money for relatively little effort. I say 'relatively', because I realize that movie stars and athletes do work hard...no doubt...but the exhorbitent compensation cannot possibly match the work output. When an NBA star gets a $1,000,000 signing bonus, what has he done for that money, except hold a pen and sign his name? It is definitely "easy money". And what do people often do with 'easy money'? Spend it! Often very quickly and recklessly. Why? Because it didn't cost them anything. A new sports car? Sure! A gambling spree in Monte Carlo? Why not?!?

Those who lived through the Great Depression of the 1930's are a great example of a people group that know the value of a dollar. An entire generation was subject to great hardship, with no income, little-to-no food, and less hope. Every day was a trial to put food on the table, to find work, to try to keep your family together without having to ship off your children to relatives in other cities or states just to survive. So when we see this generation scrimp and save to this very day, it is because they know what hard work is and how valuable their few resources are.

Working hard for what we have is a good thing. It gives us proper perspective and helps us prioritize our wants and our needs. We're more apt to save, rather than squander, when it has cost us blood, sweat and tears. But God also cautions us on how tightly we hold onto our wallets. He calls us to give to the poor and needy, to be generous with what we have. It is a divine paradox that as we are faithful to God in meeting the needs of others, our needs are met. (not our wants, mind you, but our needs.) Don't let your blood, sweat and tears glue your wallet shut. Remember that all you have is because of God's provision for you. Proverbs 11:25 says, "A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed."

So, as the Capital One commercial says, "What's in your wallet?" It is God's desire that it contains hard work and a generous spirit. (psst...does this mean it's open on both ends? hmm...something to think about...)

Love,
Joelene