Listened to a tape this morning to wake up to, but it wasn’t that effective since I didn’t get out of bed for it. I’m inclined to listen to it again this evening while doing other things. Note: I relistened to the Kosage & Nelson’s FED ’02 this evening. I like the simplicity and attitude that Dean brings to the table. Theron takes time to help explain the silliness of the separation of church and state and the exclusion of godly materials and principles.
Genesis 13-15 was more about Abram and his relations, including Lot, his nephew, and God. In verse 13, Lot and Abram were travelling together, and their groups/families/possessions got to be so large, that they decided to split up. Lot went to Jordan. In verse 14, Abram had to save Lot from the Kings that took over the area and folks possessions. verse 15 talks about the promises that God made to Abram concerning his lineage, even though, at that point, Sarai had been barren. It goes to show that God can make dreams come true, even despite all odds.
Matthew 6 was more teaching from Jesus. He taught how to give, pray, fast, worry and deal with money. I gather that the core message is to remain humble about it – don’t do it so that others can see you. Do it because you know that God sees you and you want to please him.
The Richest Man in Babylon had a neat chapter outlining the actual advice of someone who just received a windfall. The advice was sage, and isolated many things to be cautious of in the process of posessing new money.
It sounds like not many people ask for suggestions, and that’s likely the case, even today. Most people think they know what they’re doing, but they are in debt, operating off of credit or loans, and yet they still make projections about what good stewardship of money might be like.
The character giving the financial advice used a parable which made a lot of sense. He talked of an ox and an ass who were talking one day, the ox wanted a break, so the ass provided a way – just to lay down and act sick. The farmer came upon this, found the ox sick, and proceeded to yoke the ass for the days work. The moral of the story was simply, “If you desire to help thy friend, do it in a way that will not bring thy friend’s burdens upon thyself.”
If you are to loan to someone, the sage counselor pointed out that the goal of your loaning is to be certain of the return of your investment. Understand the weakness of men to be swayed by grand ideas of what they could make, if only they had gold – in reality, they had inexperience, and no mechanism whereby they could confirm the repayment of the loan.
The two goals from the chapter for the new money man: 1) keep his gold safe; and 2) that it earn more gold. The chapter closes with the wise phrase, “Better a little caution than a great regret.”
Traveling Light‘s chapter was about the burden of death, and that there is no need to fear as outlined in the 23’rd psalm:
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4 NKJV)
It’s a reminder of the frailty of life, and the promises that Jesus and God made to us about our end. Jesus made the promise to come back to take us home.
“The wise remember the brevity of life.” “…The best way to face life is to be honest about death.” I found it interesting that I haven’t really given death that much direct thought previously. I could die anytime. Really. Tomorrow on the slippery roads, a car could come out of nowhere to collide with me to my death, or perhaps (and more desireably) I slip quietly to my death decades from now after fulfilling much of my purpose for this life; where I can be somewhere with the best friends and family of my life.
The Purpose Driven Life also had a chapter talking about the frailties of life; about how we’re better off recognizing that this life is a temporary existance. We are but brief visitors to another land, and that soon (in the eyes of God,) we’ll be going home. The chapter points out the natural, but sometimes unnoticed truth: You will never feel compelety satisfied on earth, because you were made for more! Further, realizing that life on earth is just a temporary assignment should radically alter your values. In considering the closing “thoughts to ponder” section, it asks the same thing. My answer? Investing time & energy towards eternal things more; such as a tighter relationship to my Heavenly Father and deeper scripture study.
I liked the closing sentence of the chapter: “At death you won’t leave home – you’ll go home.”
Verse to remember: “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV)