FINANCIAL FREEDOM

Proverbs 6:6-8 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: (7) Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, (8) Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

This could be considered the first talk on ‘financial freedom’. The beginning of this chapter warns us about financial deals with the ungodly, especially of contracting debts. Our text today gives us the solution: work.

There is something to working hard; it seems to help provide for the bills. There is also something to saving in the time of plenty; it seems to save us from catastrophe. We do not need to look very far nor be very educated to know that. In the book of Genesis, Joseph, the son on of Jacob saves a whole civilization from an annihilating famine because of his foresight of putting aside twenty per cent of Egyptian crops during the seven years of plenty. But is this all this text teaches us?

Towards the end of the book of Matthew, Jesus answers a question to his disciples about the timing of His return. In His two chapter long monologue, Jesus challenges his disciples to be wise and faithful. First he compares His disciples to ten virgins waiting for the Bridegroom. Five are prudent and five are foolish. The prudent ones had enough oil to last till the Bridegroom arrived, but the foolish did not. At that crucial time, at that moment they had waited for all their lives, they were not ready; they did not have enough oil; they could not enter the nuptial chamber with the Bridegroom. They tried to go to the store, but the Sabbath had started and they were closed.

In that same chapter, Jesus qualifies the parable of the virgins with another parable: the one of the talents. In the parable, a traveling businessman entrusts his assets to three servants. At his return, he praises and rewards those servants who brought increase to the assets and severely reprimands the one who ‘buried’ it in the ground.

These stories could be solely interpreted at their face value, but when we read the Word of God, we need to also research the spiritual value. Like, Joseph, we need to continue receiving the oil of the Spirit in our heart, cause no matter how dark life can be, one day we will be lifted out of this earthly dungeon and be crowned to our glorious destiny. After having faithfully invested our talents in the earth, we will use them to serve the whole world. Will we be ready when He comes?