Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 60 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

It's Only Money (Part 3)

Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 60 of our Trek, and today we will mine for some additional golden nuggets of wisdom. I hope you are ready to learn with me as you build your living legacy each day.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. It has been a hot and muggy week here in Ohio but somewhat typical for the last week of July.  Our client workload remains busy this week, but I look forward to each day where we can share our daily lives together.  It is my hope that this podcast and journal provide you with information that impacts your life in a positive way.

On our Trek this week, we started down new trails in a series “It’s Only Money” with the theme of being on the trail of true riches. Yesterday we hiked along the trails of "What Money Cannot Do For You" and "What Money Will Do For You." On both trails, we came to understand that money does not bring lasting security because we will never have enough. Money can also sprout wings and fly off like an eagle leaving us to wonder where it has gone. I know that you can probably relate to this. I know I can.

Today we are going to examine the trail of "Money Attitudes." So, let’s head on up the yellow brick trail to a land of financial contentment. This may very well be a foreign country to you.

There are a number of principles in the Book of Proverbs which should shape our attitude toward money. Some of these principles are:

1. Neither the possession of money, nor the lack of it are proof of your goodness or worthiness.

Within the faith community of our day, there are some that indicate that prosperity is proof of godliness. The rich, they suppose, are wealthy because they are more worthy. This camp gets caught up by the trappings of affluence. In other religious groups, there is a spoken or unspoken code that austerity of other is the sign of being spiritual, so their poverty becomes proof of goodness.

Both of these views are wrong for several reasons.

First, you may be rich for the wrong reasons. Illegal commerce or bad behavior, for example, could be the means by which you prosper.

Likewise, you may be poor for reasons other than being lazy. Some are poor due to injustice, not a lack of initiative.

Proverbs 13:23, "A poor person’s farm may produce much food, but injustice sweeps it all away."

Proverbs 19:22, "Loyalty makes a person attractive. It is better to be poor than dishonest."

Money is never an indicator of morality. What most of us fail to grasp is that money is completely amoral. It all comes from the heart and mind. It is how you handle the wealth that you do have that is important. Don’t judge others by their perceived lifestyles.

Proverb 13:7 shows why we should not judge by outward appearance.

"Some who are poor pretend to be rich; others who are rich pretend to be poor."

True riches can never be measured in terms of money.

2. God has not promised to make every good or godly person wealthy.

The question which you must first ask is, “Does God in His Word promise to financially prosper you?  Is there a formula that will guarantee you financial success?" To be dogmatic about these questions would be foolish.

This is particularly difficult to understand in our western societies. Even the poorest of people would be considered wealthy in many other places of the world. Regardless of where you live or your standard of living, there are certain principles in the Bible that, if followed,