Thurs. March 11
"DON'T WORRY ABOUT TOMORROW." (MT 6:34 NKJV)
God's Economics For Tough Times (4)
To prosper in tough times: (1) Resist greed. "You shall not covet" (Ex 20:17 NIV). The drive to keep up with the Joneses enslaves us and stresses us out. Jesus identified the law of diminishing returns in coveting. "Be on your guard against...greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions" (Lk 12:15 NIV). The bottom line is: your self-worth cannot be built on your net worth, especially in this economy. John says: "These...desires...to buy everything that appeals to you...are not from God" (1Jn 2:16 TLB). Sharing, not owning things, brings lasting satisfaction and joy! (2) Don't co-sign. "Don't...guarantee another person's debt or put up security for someone else. If you can't pay it, even your bed will be snatched from under you" (Pr 22:26-27 NLT). This isn't just good advice; it's a divine directive. Your friends who got "burned" by countersigning debts will all say, "Amen!" God isn't saying don't help others. He blesses those who help the needy. But His way of helping is by prayer, giving, lending without expecting a return, offering wise counsel, but not taking on their debt. (3) Work hard. Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich (Pr 10:4 NLT). "Wealth obtained by fraud dwindles, but the one who gathers by labor increases it" (Pr 13:11 NAS). "A man skilled in his work...will stand before kings...not...before obscure men" (Pr 22:29 NAS). Even in a tough economy God will promote the honest, skilled, hard worker to higher places and greater prosperity!
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