Shownotes
Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy
Welcome to Day 59 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.
It’s Only Money (Part 2)
Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 59 of our Trek, and as we examine these nuggets of wisdom each day, we need to seek for them as if they were nuggets of gold. Speaking of gold, the next several days we will focus on the accumulation of wealth, both in money and the true riches of life.
We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. I was able to put a coat of polyurethane on “The Eating Area” floor late last night and the second coat very early this morning. It is looking really nice. We will let it set for a couple of days before moving the furniture back into the room. This has been a much lengthier project than we anticipated, but it is nearing completion.
On our Trek, we started down the money trail yesterday with a new series “It’s Only Money” and the theme of being on the trail of true riches. Yesterday we traveled on the money trail and considered “What is Better Than Wealth?”. We discovered that several items are. If you missed yesterday’s podcast, please check it out.
Today we are going to explore a couple more precepts about money. So, let’s head on up the yellow brick trail to our land of true wealth.
What Money Cannot Do For You
“Money isn’t everything,” someone has been quoted as saying “but it’s a long way ahead of whatever is in second place.” Proverbs informs us, however, that not only is money not in first place, but it is not even in the running for second place. One reason is that money simply cannot purchase those things in life which are most important.
1. Money cannot buy you security.
There are two primary reasons why money fails to make you secure. The first is that money simply cannot purchase security, for security cannot be bought. There are those who deceive themselves by thinking that wealth offers them security, but this is only imaginary.
Proverbs 18:11, “The rich think of their wealth as a strong defense; they imagine it to be a high wall of safety.”
The second reason money cannot offer us security is that wealth itself is often only temporary. Not only does our wealth fail to make us secure, our wealth itself is insecure.
Proverbs 23:4-5, “Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit. In the blink of an eye wealth disappears, for it will sprout wings and fly away like an eagle.”
During the great recession of 2008, millions of people lost large portions of their retirements that they had worked so hard for. Millions of others lost their homes and possessions. We cannot place our hope in money as security because remember “It’s Only Money.”
2. Money cannot buy you wisdom.
Proverbs 17:16, “It is senseless to pay to educate a fool, since he has no heart for learning.”
3. Money cannot provide you with life’s most precious gift.
We know that money cannot buy true friends because bought “friends” will forsake us when our time of need arrives.
Proverbs 19:7, “The relatives of the poor despise them; how much more will their friends avoid them! Though the poor plead with them, their friends are gone.”
The Prodigal Son in Luke 15 illustrates this principle clearly, but we will leave that story for another day.
I can attest personally to the fact that a godly wife cannot be purchased, but is a gift of God’s grace. Paula is my gift of God’s grace.
Proverbs 18:22, “The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the Lord.”
Proverbs 19:14, “Fathers can give their sons an inheritance of houses and wealth, but only the Lord can give an understanding wife.”
One of my virtual mentors, Zig Ziglar, puts it this way, “Money will buy you a bed, but not a good night sleep; a house, but not a home; a companion, but not a friend.”
4. God’s grace cannot be bought with money.
God’s grace is never obtained by any contribution from man. Because of this, money cannot reconcile you to Him, and it often produces pride and self-confidence which only drives you farther from Him.
Proverbs 11:4, “Riches won’t help on the day of judgment, but right living can save you from death.”
Proverbs 11:6, “The godliness of good people rescues them; the ambition of treacherous people traps them.”
Proverbs 11:28, “Trust in your money and down you go! But the godly flourish like leaves in spring.”
While it may not be accurate to say that the “best things in life are free,” it at least should be evident that the best things in life cannot be purchased with money.
What Money Will Do For You
Anyone who has gone from poverty to prosperity can testify that money will produce results. Money can be very positive when used properly. If we are not careful, though, there are some aspects of money that are not very beneficial. Let us consider some of the effects which wealth may produce in our lives – further evidence that money, if not handled wisely, is not all it is purported to be.
1. You can be assured that money will attract “friends.”
Proverbs teaches us that money adds friends while poverty removes them.
Proverbs 19:4, “Wealth makes many “friends”; poverty drives them all away.”
Proverbs 19:6, “Many seek favors from a ruler; everyone is the friend of a person who gives gifts!”
Growing up on the farm and apple orchard, we were not wealthy at all. There were 10 kids in the family, 1 bathroom, and limited well water. While I never realized that we were probably considered poor, I do remember that those who were wealthy were not very friendly to us. I also remember mom quoting Ben Franklin, “Now that I have a sheep and a goat, everyone bids me good morrow.”
2. Money tends to give the rich a false sense of security.
In a passage which we have already noted, we are told that the rich tend to find a false sense of well-being in their wealth.
Proverbs 18:11, “The rich think of their wealth as a strong defense; they imagine it to be a high wall of safety.”
3. Money can produce pride and apathy towards others.
The reality of life is that the poor man who wonders where his next meal is coming from is more attuned to spiritual things than is the rich, who seemingly has no worry about such things.
Proverbs 28:11, “Rich people may think they are wise, but a poor person with discernment can see right through them.”
Agur, the godly man of Proverbs chapter 30, had a balanced approach to riches when he petitioned God in verse 9, “For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.” This is something to consider in your pursuit of wealth.
Well, that will finish our podcast for today. If you missed any of our previous podcasts, please check out Wisdom-Trek on iTunes, Stitcher, SoundCloud or Wisdom-Trek.com. Tomorrow we will consider the topic “It’s Only Money” Part 3 during which we will discuss our attitudes towards money.
So, please join us at our “camp” tomorrow for another day on our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.
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Thank you!
The journal from this podcast can be found at Wisdom-Trek.com, where we also have pictures, tweetable quotes, wisdom nuggets, and free resources.
Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal each day.
As we take this Trek together, let us always:
- Live Abundantly (Fully)
- Love Unconditionally
- Listen Intentionally
- Learn Continuously
- Lend Generously
- Lead with Integrity
- Leave a Living Legacy Each Day
This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy the Journey, and Create a Great Day! See you tomorrow!