FEATURE ARTICLE

Monday, April 15, 2024
[email protected]
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
HOW ARE YOU MAKING YOUR MONEY?

“Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. 2 Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment. 4 For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies” Jas 5:1-4

We all need money, we all make money, but we must be careful how we make money.

s a young Engineer, in a Petrochemical Company in the mid 80s, I had an Italian instructor who took special interest in me because I shared the gospel with him. One of the reasons he was reluctant to accept Christ, according to him is “ the way you so called Christians live” Much as I tried to convince him that you don’t use anybody’s life to determine your faith he held on to his beliefs. One of his arguments is that when it comes to money matters we Christians are not different from them. He concluded that we forget that when you make money the wrong way as “they” do “ you die young and leave a beautiful corpse”

Let us look at some ways not to make money.

1. Unjust means: “Like a partridge that hatches eggs she has not laid, so are those who get their wealth by unjust means.At midlife they will lose their riches;in the end, they will become poor old fools.”Jer 17:11. Just look around you, from the banks book manipulations to the market place where unjust weights are used from greed to manipulation in dealing with friends and family, embezzlement to bribe taking and giving. They are “unjust means” Stop it.

2. Gambling/ Betting. Though there is no direct biblical reference, anything that is an act of sin is not of God.

3. Stealing/ Corruption. Misappropriation of funds, stealing by pen or pin is ungodly. “Thou shall not steal “the bible commands. Employees steal company products. Some pay “ghost worker” and pocket it.

4. Kidnapping / Armed Robbery. People have determined that armed robbery is hard work, so they shifted to easily kidnapping people and asking for ridiculous amounts, it is the victims relatives that will be “begging” to pay ransom to the kidnappers to take less money.

5. Rituals/ Blood money. Some use and kill their relatives spouses, children, parents , side chicks, strangers etc to make money.

6. Abuse of power and opportunities. Some take advantage of governance, political power , spiritual power to exploit individuals, nations, or subordinates. Inflate contracts. Divert staff, employees and pensioners salaries. Put them in personal bank account and take interest. Take contracts and fail to execute. Employers fail to pay salaries, they divert workers' funds into private accounts to generate interest.

7. Others. They are rooted in psychological and behavioral deficiencies, such as lack of work ethic, lack of faith, lack of discipline, over-spending, excessive risk-taking in investments, greed, pride, and an insatiable desire to impress others.

How are we to make money?

1. Get a job and be paid . An 8 to 4 job as they say.

2. Be self employed, run your own business genuine and legal business.

3. By inheritance .

4. Through royalties.

5. Genuine investment e.g real estate, stocks,

6. Innovation, Creation of ideas or things

7. Others .Working hard and working smart. Through prayers, favours, etc

Conclusion: You may argue that you will spend the money while here on earth, the truth is you cannot use ill- gotten well to buy peace . The Bible says when you make money in a godly way he will ensure no sorrow is attached . “Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings” Isaiah 4:10. When you make money in unjust ways- this is what the Bible has for you. “Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.” Isaiah 3:11. More importantly you came naked and you will not go with anything. Also, there is life after death, and the way you make money will determine where you will spend eternity. Be wise .