Welcome to my blog, or should I say to the ramblings of an old man. I doubt that my ramblings are of much value, but at least I have an opportunity to share them.  So, please be kind and humor me. If nothing else of value stands out in these thoughts, I hope that you at least sense the value I place on a daily walk with the Lord.  That walk is what has provided me with motivation and a sense of purpose throughout my lifetime.  My prayer is that you, too, are experiencing this direction and joy in daily living which is available to everyone who puts his trust in Christ.  So, thanks again for joining me.  Please don't go without leaving some comments here so I can get to know you better as our paths intersect today in this blog.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Greed, Greed, Greed!

Then He said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." Luke 12:15.   The past few weeks we have been affected by the devastating results of massive greed in our country.  It includes greed in the leaders of big companies who have used their power to build huge personal fortunes at the expense of honest handling of the investments of others.  It includes our congressmen in Washington who have used greedy, faulty decision making to protect their positions, their party, their power, and their empires at the expense of the country and the people they represent.  It includes those on Wall Street and leaders in corporate America who have schemed to get rich quick. They should be fined, stripped of their pensions, and thrown in jail, not bailed.  But greed has also colored the decision making of those like us from Main Street America.  Our "wanters" are out of control.  Recent generations have wanted everything ... and NOW - expensive houses, appliances and furniture, several fancy cars, technology, exclusive educations for their kids, club memberships, expensive meals and vacations, and the newest and best "toys".  And to feed their greed they have used credit cards, huge mortgages, and loans.  The average American has huge debts on several credit cards, gigantic and unreasonable mortgages, and no plan for paying any of this off.  They have fallen for the traps of advertisers - you must have this - everyone does, buy the most expensive one on time, buy now with nothing due until next year, or no down payment needed, use your credit card. They have no savings for emergencies or for retirement.  Now many stand to lose everything - unless, of course, the taxpayers (that's us) bail them out.  Could a world-wide bank be around the corner or maybe even a charismatic leader who promises change with programs to help everyone (I wonder who will pay for this)? Hmm, I wonder what the Bible says about this.  As a Christian, I would strongly suggest the following:  (1) Get on a strict monthly budget and stick to it;  (2) Make it a priority to work hard to get debt free (this includes churches with several million dollars in debt);  (3)  Ask the Lord to give you wisdom in handling your money and give your tithe to Him;  (4)  If you have credit card debt, tear up those cards now;  (5)  Determine what is really a need and what is a "want", as one family did as written in Reader's Digest; (6)  As the passage in Luke says, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed" in your life. And, one more suggestion, (7) Ask the Lord who you should vote for - the charismatic liberal spender from Chicago who is promising the average American everything, or the senator from Arizona who promises to cut spending and reform Washington.   These are very tough times that will affect us all - even those who are debt-free and conservative with their spending.  But God will honor His children who honor and worship Him by being faithful in handling their money according to Biblical principles.  He will provide for them all that they need - He always has ... and He always will ... in times of plenty ... and in times of deep need.   

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