ARTICLES

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Particularly in times of financial uncertainty, such as those we face now, many feel the need to seek out financial advice from “experts,” relatives, or acquaintances whose counsel they value. This is a wise move. In Proverbs 11:14, Solomon said, “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” A multitude of counselors is recommended for obvious reasons—human counselors, even those with the best of intentions, can give bad advice. There is a great need today for financial wisdom that is completely trustworthy. The only source for wisdom that will always work is God’s Word.

Christians are not immune to life’s problems. As more and more people in our society struggle with financial difficulties (often of their own making), such problems become more widespread among God’s people. We are in desperate need of a restoration of principles of financial management and behavior that were once common. Going back to the Source of all wisdom is the best place to start. The financial wisdom freely available to us in God’s Word is both abundant and incredibly rich and detailed. When we need wisdom regarding marriage or parenting or dealing with depression, we should, and often do, think first of turning to the Lord. It is vital that we also learn to go to Him first when we face financial difficulties. We should all be determined to trust in the Lord with all our hearts, and not to lean on our own (or some other human’s) understanding (Proverbs 3:5).

Much of what the Scriptures have to say about wealth is found in the writings of Solomon. Solomon’s name is synonymous with wisdom. We are told in 1 Kings 4:29-34 of how God blessed Solomon with “wisdom and exceedingly great understanding” such that he was said to be “wiser than all men.” He was also blessed with great wealth (see 1 Kings 10:14-29). Furthermore, he was a prolific writer and was inspired of God. For all of these reasons, Solomon’s writings should be among the first places we go when we need financial advice.

We will now briefly consider four passages that indicate the breadth and depth of financial wisdom that Solomon’s writings offer us. The relevance of this wisdom to us today is readily apparent.

The promise of quick riches is most alluring when we are in the middle of financial difficulty. When we realize what a mess we have made of things, the desire to get out of our mess is strong, and rightly so. Solomon warns us that looking for the quick way out will not work. “A faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished” (Proverbs 28:20). It takes great faith to patiently and diligently follow God’s plan for turning our financial circumstances around. The get-rich-quick schemes are marketed in ways that are slick and seductive. The Christian must learn that punishment awaits those who fall for these false promises.

There are many passages in Scripture that show us that God expects us to be good stewards (i.e., managers) of the blessings with which he has entrusted us. Our Lord Himself asks in Luke 16:11, “Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon [i.e., riches], who will commit to your trust the true riches?” Solomon makes this point in a very clear and practical way in Proverbs 27:23-27. “Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, and attend to your herds; for riches are not forever, nor does a crown endure to all generations. When the hay is removed, and the tender grass shows itself, and the herbs of the mountains are gathered in, the lambs will provide your clothing, and the goats the price of a field; you shall have enough goats’ milk for your food, for the food of your household, and the nourishment of your maidservants.” Most of us are not farmers today, but the message should be clear. God’s people should make diligent effort to know the state of their financial assets and should spend time attending to them. When we do, those assets will take care of our future needs and will help us provide for those who depend on us. If an Israelite paid no attention to his flocks and herds, they would soon be gone. If we pay no attention to our money, it will quickly leave us.

Most competent financial advisors will emphasize the importance of diversification in making financial investments. This is sound advice, and it is not a new idea. In Ecclesiastes 11:6, Solomon says, “In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand; for you do not know which will prosper, either this or that, or whether both alike will be good.” In the morning, the Israelite could work outside sowing his seed. In the evening, he is encouraged to keep working, probably on some sort of inside work. This might suggest that we should encourage our children to obtain and cultivate multiple skills (and develop them ourselves, if we haven’t already). We see this in the apostle Paul, who generally worked as an evangelist, but could also support himself through his skill as a tentmaker when necessary. With regard to financial investments, we never know “which will prosper,” so diversification is advisable. Putting all our “eggs” in one basket, financially, is a dangerous practice.

 In Proverbs 24:27, the wise man says, “Prepare your outside work, make it fit for yourself in the field; and afterward build your house.” A man’s fields provided his income. If he did not prepare his fields and get his seed planted, he would have no revenue. Imagine what the people of Solomon’s day would think of a man who failed to plant his crop at the proper time because he was busy building a nice home. How much pleasure would the nice house be as he starved during the winter? You can live in a tent or a lean-to, but you must eat! Today, we often see people who want a beautiful home and comfortable—perhaps extravagant—lifestyle before they have the income to support it. Young people, particularly, often want a lifestyle equal to, or better than, that of their parents, even though their parents may have spent many years reaching that point. Often, debt is the typical approach these young people use to achieve this lifestyle. We need to remember that God does not promise us instant success and wealth. In fact, as we have seen, that is most definitely not His plan! The time for us to reap rewards is after our income is secured by our labors.

Just as with other areas of life, the Scriptures can supply the wisdom we need in order to become effective managers of the financial blessings God has given us. In his book Your Money Counts, Howard Dayton has estimated that the Bible contains more than 2,350 verses on money and possessions, as compared to just over 500 verses on prayer and just under 500 verses on faith. Of course, money is not more important than prayer or faith, but God knows that people struggle with questions about wealth. God does not want His children to be consumed with the cares and worries of this world. He left us a way to avoid the constant financial struggles and stress that so many around us contend with. How terribly sad it is that those who are supposed to be His disciples (i.e., followers) often ignore His plan for financial peace and security! Let us all strive to be better followers of our Master’s financial wisdom.

Stan Bullington, Ph.D., has taught economic analysis for engineers for over twenty years. He is the author of Solomon on Wealth.

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” —Romans 12:1-2, ESV

   

 The gradual blurring of the church and the world has become accepted in many Christian lives and in the churches seeking to be more aligned to society. As social changes have occurred in areas such as clothing and fashions, use of communication devices, respect levels, family cohesiveness, tolerance of sexual mores—these worldly attitudes may have become a way of life to the Christian. Immoral worldliness often seems to take precedence over true Biblical knowledge and morality. The world’s standards have become the church’s by default.

 It is not hard to find erosion from the remembered church life and values of the fifties and sixties to the style of a new century. How did this change occur? Was the Christian asleep or unobservant? Was he concerned with the purity of the church? Or was he concerned about getting ahead in the world and accepting its standards instead of those of the Lord’s church?

Secularism is the church’s greatest danger. The New Oxford American Dictionary defines “secularism” as “denoting attitudes, activities, or other things that have no religious or spiritual basis.” Is this the correct word or idea to apply to the problem of the world and the church? Unfortunately, this definition is blurred with that of “humanism,” an outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine power. Humanistic beliefs stress the potential value and goodness of human beings and seek solely rational ways of solving human problems. These ideas have evolved into “humanistic Christian thought” with the view that individuals and their culture have value in their church life by attaching more importance to human culture regardless of the truth of the Bible. To these ideas add “situational ethics,” where every moral decision has to be taken in the light of the circumstances, without exact precedents, absolutes, or irreversible moral laws but open only to the inspiration of the moment. It is easy to see how a church worldliness has developed, despite the admonition that Christians must be in the world but not of it.

The church is linked by a common faith in Jesus Christ. In fact, this faith reveals what the church really is. The church consists of those of each generation who proclaim that the Truth was “once for all delivered” through the prophets, apostles, and writers of the New Testament. The church understands the world through the prism of Biblical faith. Does this sound intolerably exclusive? Christianity has always been regarded as such in a pluralistic world. Even as early Christians moved in the Gentile world, they encountered a bewildering array of worldviews. The writings of the New Testament address these conflicts. I do not mean to minimize important differences between the first century and today, but the relativistic notion so pervasive today that each person should be entitled to his or her own truth would not have occurred to most of these first century believers of the Gospel. Yet once the clear proclamation of the uniqueness of Jesus challenged the Roman world, Christians were persecuted because their teachings were exclusive and intolerant.

Let me state firmly that Satan is attacking the church today as in the past. He subtly uses secular warfare. First, the devil must make the Scriptures irrelevant, so that the words of the world are as important as the words of Scripture. The Gospel is reduced to Jesus’ loving commitment to others. Second, great weight must be placed on current insights of social sciences concerning opinions of homosexuality, out-of-wedlock liaisons, and divorce. Such weight will define a new culture not in agreement with the teaching of the Bible. Third, a new language for God must be written to transcend images, metaphors, and analogies, to shed culture-bound revelations, and to use gender-neutral or gender-inclusive language to fit personal religious experience. Fourth, those who oppose these steps must be caricatured as literalistic, rigid, divisive, and authoritarian—they are standing in the way of bringing the church into relevant dialogue with the post-modern world.

Is there an answer for the canker of worldliness? Yes, it is the defense and interpretation of core Christian belief in the light of the contemporary challenges facing us. There are many hurdles to clear. We are in an era that can be called the “remote control syndrome age,” named for a device that lets viewers change TV channels without moving from their comfortable chairs. The viewers are satisfied captives. This often leads to a lower threshold of viewer satisfaction, to program switching, and to an abysmal attention span. We become afflicted with AADD (Adult Attention Deficit Disorder), and woe to the teacher or minister that cannot attract and retain members’ attention during their lesson.

The church used to have a clear identity distinct from the world. Many of us grew up knowing that we could not do what others did because we were Christians. In the last few decades, we have rushed to embrace the materialist and success-oriented type of Christianity of the worldly denominations. This, combined with our attention deficit, our lack of Scriptural knowledge, and our lack of role models makes us a church of the secular world instead of Christ.

Orthodoxy is not only true but also alive and relevant to this very age. The main problem is that those with an aversion to thinking deeply about their faith will disagree and even find it offensive. Unless we are prepared to think deeply about what we believe, then our day will be over. Those who glibly use Christian language will perpetrate a religion very different from our historical faith placing their citizenship outside of Heaven. “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds on earthly things. But our citizenship is in Heaven” (Philippians 3:17-19, ESV).

 Truth is never merely intellectual. From ancient times, Jewish people thought that truth was not only to be learned, but also to be lived. They were correct. Christ taught of a tree and its fruit and ended with, “For out of the abundance of his heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45, ESV). In blunt condemnation Jesus quoted Isaiah when he said, “This people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commands of men” (Matthew 15:8-9, ESV). The church should not experience worldly glory instead of the glory of the cross. She should resist the desires of the flesh and of the eyes and of the boastful pride of life (1 John 2:15-16). Not to do so is to become a secularized church.

We will encounter truth only when we are willing to be part of a people who are seeking to live under the lordship of Christ, who let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly (Colossians 3:16). For us it is essential to desire holiness, to love God more than ourselves, and to find fulfillment in Christ rather than in a world that will never truly satisfy.

“You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11, ESV).

George and his wife Sharon just refinanced their home mortgage, bought their 16-year-old daughter a new car, and sent their 18-year-old son off to college. Things were going to settle down now.  And then it happened….George got the news from his boss at work that the store he had managed for the last 14 years was closing. As of the first of the month, George would be out of a job. Devastated by the news, George immediately called Marie to tell her about the bad news. “I’ve worked for this company for 21 years—straight out of college. I started in the warehouse, moved to the floor, and was promoted to store manager. Our store was number one in sales for six years in a row, and this is the thanks I get. I can’t believe this has happened to me. What am I going to do now?”

Realizing that God is in control and that one can draw from His wisdom, a person can  begin to deal with the problem at hand—how to get another job. The technical aspects of getting a job can be quite complicated when looking at the big picture; therefore, one must break the problem down into small segments. The old adage is “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” The same logic should be applied to searching for that next job—one step at a time. One must develop a plan and then execute that plan to fruition. The following are some logical steps that should be taken when developing a job search plan:

1.      Make a list of people (at least 25-50) that you know who may have access to job opportunities. Make contact with them, either by phone or in person (not by text or email), and let them know you are looking for a job. Studies have shown that 80-85% of positions are filled through referrals and not by applying to advertised jobs. Build your network and work that network for job leads and referrals. Find out who will be willing to be a personal reference for you during your job search.

2.      Revise your resume. Most employers have a “yes” pile and a “no” pile when it comes to sorting resumes or job applications. The purpose of your resume is to get an interview, so build it with that end in mind. Countless resources are available on the Internet to assist with that task. Highlight your strengths, quantify your results, and be professional in your presentation. An important point is to make sure your resume shows how your skills can contribute to the profitability of a potential employer. Also note that resumes are not “one size fits all.” Resumes should be tailored to the specific job for which you are applying.

3.      Practice answering questions about yourself and your strengths and weaknesses. Develop what many professionals call your “elevator speech” – a 30-second summary describing who you are and what benefits you can provide to a prospective employer. Search Internet sites that provide a list of probable interview questions and practice your answers to those. Remember the 5 p’s: proper preparation prevents poor performance.

4.      Be careful developing a resume and posting it on any and every job board that exists. You are in control of your job search, not some job board. Be selective and protective when it comes to distributing your personal information.

5.      Execute your job plan during business hours. Reaching out to your network during the day presents a more professional image than contacting them when they are away from the office. Use the evening hours to summarize your progress and plan for the next day. If you search online job boards, make good use of your time by doing this during evening or non-business hours.

6.      Follow up, both on resumes that you have submitted and with members of your network. Be professional without being a nuisance. This can be done by phone or by email, but it should be done.

7.      After your interview, follow up with that person through a handwritten card or note. This leaves a lasting impression in the mind of the interviewer and helps you stand out (and it’s also a nice thing to do).

8.      Jobs will not fall out of the sky. You will have to work for them. You may not have control over the hiring process, but you do have control over the search process. Maintain a positive attitude and professional approach to your search. It will pay off.

9.      Look toward the future. Plan for improving your position in the job world. You may find your next job is better than your last one. But, on the other hand, prepare yourself that you may be forced into taking a position that is less than anticipated should your time of unemployment extend beyond a few months. How will you know which job is right for you? The answer is you won’t for sure until you try it.

10. Be diligent in your prayer life. Ask God for wisdom in making your decisions and you will be rewarded (Philippians 4:6-7).

Job searching is a tedious process with unpredictable results. Sometimes the search can last for several days, sometimes weeks or months. Anxiety and fear can accumulate as time passes. It is important for a person to not lose confidence in his or her abilities. Also, one must realize that he or she will need help in the process, either through the networking process or in tweaking the job search plan. Use friends and family to help. More importantly, it is critical to realize that God is still in control, and as a child of His, things will work out (Romans 8:28). The key to finding that next opportunity lies in developing a plan, working that plan, and trusting God and His promises. “Consider the lilies of the field….” 

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