INcome
money received for
work
remuneration
salary
wages
There are many avenues through which God intends to bring increase into our lives. One of the most obvious ones is through our wages earned from our physical jobs. The scriptures teach that we increase by work, not just by confession and faith giving as the teacher at the conference I mentioned in the introduction to this book would seem to be suggesting. In fact, there is a specific Christian work ethic, known as INdustry (hard work, busyness, activity, energy, vigor), that has a built-in prosperity clause. We are told that we must heartily do whatever our hands find to do as if we were working directly for the Lord. (Colossians 3:23) We are encouraged not to do our work for men to see, but for God’s inspection. (Ephesians 6:6) Along with that is the promise that if our ways please the Lord, even our enemies (including the boss) will be at peace with us. (Proverbs 16:7) God has promised to give us witty inventions that include apparatuses and instruments — methods of financial increase as well as actual physical equipment. (Proverbs 8:12) Following the Lord’s directions in our everyday lives — on and off the job — ensures prosperity and increase. (I Kings 2:3; II Chronicles 24:20; II Chronicles 31:21; Deuteronomy 29:9)
Manual labor has been part of God’s economy for man since the first human was placed in the Garden of Eden. (Genesis 2:15) This divine work ethic was even confirmed in the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 20:9, Deuteronomy 5:13) Old and New Testament alike affirm that man was created to work with his hands (Genesis 5:29, I Thessalonians 4:11) and that it is through physical work that we earn our right of existence (Genesis 3:19, II Thessalonians 3:10). However, we are also warned against feeling secure in our own abilities and accomplishments. We have already made mention of the seven churches in the book of Revelation. They were all recognized for their work and labor (Revelation 2:2, 5, 9, 13, 19, 23, 26; 3:1, 2, 8, 15); yet, there was essentially no profit it in. Like the subjects of Haggai’s prophecies, they had sown much but brought in little, had earned good wages only to put the money into a bag filled with holes, and had netted a good take-home pay simply to see it blown away. (Haggai 1:6-9)
The Byzantine Empire used a solid gold currency called “solidus” to pay its troops, who became known as “soldiers” after the name of the wages they earned. The previous world empire — the Romans — paid their soldiers in salt, because salt was a hard to obtain commodity and also essential for life. In fact, we get our modern word “salary” directly from this practice of using salt as payment. However, I’m certain that none of us today would be happy to receive a bag of salt for a week’s labor at the office or factory. Although in the ancient world, the Roman soldier’s monthly allotment of salt was actually as valuable as the Byzantine soldier’s pocketful of gold coins, the problem is that so much salt has been mined over the past two millennia that it is of little value now. This is a valuable lesson to always keep in mind concerning the work of our hands — it can eventually prove to be worthless. However, we often find that our “gold” has turned to “salt” through foolish spending, bad investments, and inflation.
Deuteronomy 8:18 makes it explicitly plain that it is God who gives us the power to get wealth, a lesson that Nebuchadnezzar had to learn the hard way when he boasted of all he had accomplished and was instantly struck insane. (Daniel 4:28-33) No matter how diligent he was in his work, it meant nothing when he lost his intelligence. True prosperity isn’t in what resources we have, but in the resourcefulness that God gives us in how to gain, manage, and maintain wealth. It’s the old parable about teaching a man to fish as opposed to simply giving him a fish. But the true bottom line to the whole secret of prosperity lies not with the resource or even with the resourcefulness, but with knowing the Source!
At this point, we need to consider several other “in” factors that relate to our income. The first is INstinct (filled with a desirable quality; innate response to certain stimuli). Instinct is a God-given ability to recognize wise choices even when we may not mentally process all the options and possibilities. Just as you jerk your hand back from a hot stove, duck quickly away from an object flying toward your head, or instantly blink when a particle that you don’t even actually see is about to hit your eye — God gives us instinctive insights or INtuition (the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning) into many situations that can bring resources into our hands. “Wisdom is better than riches, gold, silver, rubies.” (Proverbs 16:16) The ability to see financial possibilities can produce far more income in the long run than any singular financial transaction. Perhaps the next “in” factor may better define this whole process. INgenuity (cleverness, unique device, original method, inventive solution) is the ability to see a situation or problem from a different angle, or to “think outside the box” when everyone else is stuck in the same old rut.
In Genesis chapters thirty and thirty-one, we find the story of how Jacob’s instinct, intuition, and ingenuity brought him great wealth. He was working diligently with his hands tending to his father-in-law’s flocks and herds, yet he was far from prosperous in his employment. Then he struck upon the idea of separating the spotted, speckled, and brown cattle (genetically dominate traits) as his wages. The result was that he eventually gained a formidable fortune from the livestock. The same kind of behind-the-scenes understanding can make a world of difference in our finances as well. For example, simply making biweekly mortgage payments of half the monthly amount rather than one full payment each month can cut your thirty-year mortgage debt to one that will be paid off in only twenty-three years. It’s simple mathematics in that you wind up making thirteen payments in a year rather than twelve, but the extra payments cut down on the compound interest at such a rate that you actually are able to make major headway on paying off the principle each year.
Such insights into the nature of finance give us the ability to see the whole picture at once and to even see the inner workings of the situation. If we lack this ability, we can fall into the trap of “tunnel vision” finances and easily overlook some vital areas of our financial situation. The result is that our outgo can exceed our income, resulting in our upkeep becoming our downfall. The answer to this dilemma is to maintain a comprehensive budget. For many people, the term “budget” carries a very negative connotation; therefore, it may be easier — at least psychologically — to talk about a spending plan and a saving plan rather than to consider ourselves under the bondage of a budget. Call it what we will, but we must have a plan because — as we have already learned — failing to plan is the same as planning to fail.
When we develop conscientious spending and saving plans, we are demonstrating that we are definitely countercultural in that half of all households in America didn’t save a penny last year while overall debt has risen thirty percent in the past five years. The result is a generation that not only cannot give generously to the good works and ministries they would like to support, they can’t even afford to retire. The July 29, 2002, Time Magazine carried a feature article that showed that ninety-five percent of Americans nearing retirement age plan to get another job after they retire. The article gave the illustration of George (69) and Maria Rudd (62) from Miami who earn over a quarter million dollars per year, but have a credit card debt of almost fifty thousand dollars and savings that wouldn’t even pay off the credit card debt — much less provide for their retirement. The ironic thing about their lack of financial forethought is that Maria is a financial services compliance officer. They cashed in their retirement 401(k) to buy a sailboat. Maria says that maybe they can live on their boat when they retire. America’s lack of planning for the future is complicated by the economic downturn that has crippled many who did try to prepare. The Standard and Poors index has fallen forty-four percent since its peak in 1999, when the stock market was growing at an annual rate of eight percent. The Great Recession that began in 2008 wiped out almost eight trillion dollars from our over-all economy.
Many Christians try to cover up their lack of discipline in the financial area by quoting the saying of Jesus about not taking thought for tomorrow (Matthew 6:34) and about observing how the birds of the air don’t store into barns yet are cared for by God (Matthew 6:26). To those who present this argument, I ask them if the story of Joseph who stored up grain in Egypt is not in their same Bible. We know from Hebrews 10:25 that an evil day is coming; therefore, we — like Joseph of old — must be prepared. Saving for a rainy day is not necessarily negative; it is our guarantee of being able to take care of ourselves and even sustain others when there is trouble. We can also see it as an escape to the sunshine when there is none where we are — like a trip to the Caribbean in the winter.
Consistent savings and compound interest can work for you. The “Rule of Seventy-two” states that if we divide seventy-two by the percentage interest we are receiving, we can see how long it will take our one-time investment to double. Four percent interest will double our investment in just eighteen years; six percent, in twelve years; eight percent in nine years; and nine percent in eight years. This calculation is based on adding nothing to our investment once we have taken it to the bank. However, adding regularly to that nest egg increases our account exponentially.
Of course, the same principle also works against us if we are paying rather than earning interest. Our nineteen percent credit card interest becomes almost twenty-one if allowed to compound over a year. Here is an example of how much we will owe at the end of each month if we place $1,000 on your card and make no payments for a full year:
January $1,015.83
February $1,031.19
March $1,048.25
April $1,064.85
May $1,081.71
June $1,098.84
July $1,116.23
August $1,133.91
September $1,151.86
October $1,170.10
November $1,188.63
December $1,207.45
With this simple illustration, we can see why it is important to always keep your credit card balances paid in full each month. In addition, this illustration doesn’t even include the late fees that are added in each month, adding not only to the overall charge, but also to the base figure upon which the interest is charged. Always pay your credit card on time. Overnight express mail is cheaper than a late fee plus the interest that starts on the due date. Late fees actually account for almost one third of credit card companies’ profits.
Credit cards are important tools for the contemporary family because they provide immediate assistance in case of emergencies and they allow for ease of record keeping. One check covers a whole month’s worth of transactions. Use credit cards and checks for keeping an accurate record of your expenses so you can more accurately plan and track your spending budget. Proverbs 23:5 says that riches take wing and fly away — and without a paper trail that can be easily tracked through the credit card we’ll never know where they went. One additional benefit with many of credit cards is that they give us airline miles or even cash rebates for every dollar spent.
But before we can have a savings plan, we must have a spending plan — which we cannot have without an earning plan. Developing a spending plan can save a lot on expenses with a fairly little minimal impact on our lifestyle. It is unfortunate that the general public has been reduced to a couple terms that I hate because they seem to degrade us to takers rather than givers: “consumer” and “consumer base.” But we can fight back and become responsible stewards rather than those who consume all that we have upon ourselves (James 4:3). Here is just a little illustration of how to save a couple hundred dollars a month:
Cut soda consumption by one liter a week $ 6
Substitute regular coffee for cappuccino $40
Brown bag your own lunch for work $60
Eat out two fewer times a month $30
Borrow, rather than buy, one book a month $15
Bounce one less check a month $20
Pay credit card bill on time to avoid late fee: $29
If we take these savings and pay toward our credit card debt, we are able to reduce our interest, making even a greater savings for the month!
It’s always better to prepare and prevent rather than to have to repair and repent. Therefore we should apply the DEBT test to every expenditure before we make it:
Is it a Desire or a need?
What is its Eternal value?
Is it in the Budget?
Is the Timing right?
A pro-active plan can help us get a handle on our financial situation. Pay off high-cost debt. The best investment most borrowers can make is to pay off consumer debt with double-digit interest rates. For example, if we have a three-thousand-dollar credit card balance in the nineteen-percent range and we pay the required minimum balance of two percent of the balance or fifteen dollars, whichever is greater, it will take almost forty years to pay off the loan. And we will pay more than ten thousand dollars in interest charges — more than three times the principle we originally spent.
Buy a home and pay it off before retirement. The largest asset of most middle-income families is their home equity. Once these families have made their last mortgage payment, they have far lower housing expenses. They also have an asset that can be borrowed on in emergencies or converted into cash through sale of the home.
Invest in a work-related retirement program. Many employees turn down free money from their employer by not signing up for a work-related retirement program such as a 401(k) plan. If they did participate, with a dollar-for-dollar match they would likely receive an annual yield of greater than one hundred percent on their investment.
Save monthly through an automatic transfer from checking to savings. These savings will provide funds for emergencies, home purchase, school tuition, or even retirement. Almost all banking institutions will, on request, automatically transfer funds monthly from your checking account to a savings account, US Savings Bond, or stock mutual fund. What you don’t see, you will probably not miss.
Our scriptural promise is that the wealth of the wicked is stored up for the just (Proverbs 13:22). We can claim that wealth through an unlimited number of avenues including: rebates, upgrades, coupon discounts, collecting interest rather than paying it (Deuteronomy 28:12), owning rather than renting or leasing, tax shelters, deals at consignment shops, close-outs and sales in retail stores, shopping in discount stores, buying off-season, and cashing in airline miles.
I’ve already discussed the fact that increase comes from working hard for our money, but it also comes from making our money work hard for us. This principle is another of our important “in” factors: INvesting (financing, bankrolling, subsidizing, underwriting). Investing is a give-and-take process in which both parties let another person’s resources or resourcefulness work for them. The investor puts his money into someone else’s company so that he can afford to achieve his business objective. Without investors, the entrepreneur or businessman would never be able to put his resourcefulness into action. Without the investment opportunity, the individual with resources would never be able to increase the funds in his hand. Investing is designed to be a win-win situation; however, it can be a lose-lose result if the project or idea doesn’t succeed or if the large investment pool (stock market) views the investment unfavorably, making the market value of the investment drop. The comic strip Blondie analyzed this last concept when the neighbor boy Elmo questioned Dagwood, “Mr. B., what makes the stock market so unpredictable?” When Dagwood answered, “It has to do with various trends, speculation, and consumer confidence about economic factors,” Elmo turned to Blondie and asked, “Mrs. B, do you know?” The world of investing is certainly complicated — and risky. However, it can be a God-given source of increase. In fact, the parable of the talents from Matthew chapter twenty-five that we studied in the early pages of this book is essentially a mandate to be involved in the investment market. The master was essentially an investor when he left his resources in the hands of his stewards expecting that they would apply their resourcefulness to bring him a profit. The two stewards who made a profit were apparently good investors in that they took the talents and turned a profit. In a negative light, we learn an investment lesson from the one who hid his talent. His master reprimanded him for not having given the money to the exchangers so that it could gain some capital through usury. (verse 27)
The best investor the world has ever known was King Solomon. So it would seem logical that if we could glean some investment advice from him, we should be able to improve our percentages, too. Fortunately, Solomon talked a great deal about his financial philosophies. He wrote, “Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.” (Ecclesiastes 11:1-2) This is the principle of having a diversified portfolio. By dividing our investment capital into several parts, we don’t risk it all in one place. Diversification is essential regardless of one’s age, income level, time frame, or personality. As our savings grow, our diversity should grow, too. Diversification does not guarantee success, but it does reduce the risks long-term. Invest in different types of investments: bonds, domestic and foreign stocks, real estate. Mutual funds offer a high degree of diversification within a single fund. Even there, invest in different types of funds: small-, mid-, and large-cap funds, emerging markets, growth, and income. In 1995, Dr. Raymond Lombra presented a forty-page report on IRA investments to Congress, recommending five percent in gold, five percent in rare coins, and the rest in stocks, treasury bonds, and treasury bills as the safest portfolio for increased returns and decreased risk over time. Solomon’s second investment principle was to invest ethically. He advised, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13) This is good advice for anyone, but it is essential for Christians. We must always ask ourselves if what we are about to do is going to be pleasing to the Lord. If not, stay away from it — no matter what the potential profit. Therefore, Christians should not invest in such businesses as pharmaceutical companies that produce abortion pills, breweries, and the tobacco industry. Such investments may yield high rates of return with little or no risk; however, they prey off the weaknesses of others. This policy may prove to be difficult to implement, especially if we are putting our investment capital into mutual funds since our investment is only a fractional percentage of ownership. However, there are resources available such as The Social Investment Forum and Sound Mind Investing newsletters that track mutual fund companies that strive to adhere to Judeo-Christian values. Solomon’s third investment principle was to get good counsel before investing. “Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.” (Proverbs. 15:22) At this point, we can introduce another of our “in” factors: INvestigate (probe, explore, scrutinize, inquire into, examine the facts). Before we put our money into any venture speculation, we need to take the time to do the due diligence to learn how the company is run, what they are producing, who are their competitors, and how much demand there is for their product. Just like the sower in Jesus’ parable of the four soils, we need to know if the soil we are planting our resources in will produce any yield. Dr. Lester Sumrall used to always challenge people to investigate the ministries that they gave to with the illustration that it was pointless to plant seed in a parking lot. The same principle is true with our financial investments as well as with our spiritual investments. Due diligence means that we investigate not only the companies we are considering backing but also the advisors who are assisting us in making our investment decisions. When making such considerations, we would do well to remember the words of Mark Twain, “There are lies, damn lies, and statistics” and look beyond the numbers to the way the numbers are presented. Financial advisors are actually philosophers first and economists second, and they usually come in two different categories — cheerleaders and comforters. Cheerleaders say all is well. Comforters say all will be well again if we just go back to doing things as we did. In May of 2009 (in the middle of the Great Recession that struck in 2008), a panel of forty-five of the nation’s leading economists was interviewed by the National Association of Business Economics. They said that they expected economic growth in the second half of 2009. Seventy-five percent said that the recession would end in 2009. Not one expected it to go beyond the first quarter of 2010. Even though we can see that their advice may not always be true, investing without properly consulting with people who are more in tune with the economic pulse beat is like “playing the horses” on a merry-go-round. Good investing depends upon getting good input from investment advisers and financial planners, including your spouse — but the most important advisor is the Lord Himself. We must prayerfully consider every investment and believe that what we feel in our hearts is the Lord directing our thoughts. The story of Jeremiah’s investment in a piece of real estate while the nation was under siege by the Babylonian army is an incredible example of this principle. Jeremiah chapter thirty-two tells a remarkable story of how the prophet made this investment in what seemed to be a totally foolish venture; yet, he knew that the idea was from the Lord (verse 8). The behind-the-scenes part of the story is that the prophet knew that the Babylonian captivity would last only seventy years (Jeremiah 25:112-12, 29:10) and that he would eventually be able to redeem the property. The New Testament tells of a much different story as the early believers began to divest themselves of their property and give the funds to the church. (Acts 4:34-35) The backstory to this scenario is that they knew that their property was soon to be destroyed (Mark 13:2) and that they would not have the opportunity to redeem it (Luke 17:31). Unlike Jeremiah, it would have been a loss for these early Christians to keep their investments in their properties. From my own personal experience, I can testify that in the months prior to the market crash in 2008, I had felt uneasy in my heart about the stock market; however, the economy seemed to be on the upswing, and my financial advisors continued to encourage me to “ride the wave” as the stocks continued to rise. Even when the wave crashed against the jagged rocks on the shore, they continued to tell me that this was just an adjustment that would soon correct itself. Only after I had lost a significant portion of my life’s savings did they agree with me that I should have cashed out when I first talked to them about it. The bottom line is that our prosperity depends not just on our resources, or even our resourcefulness — but most importantly upon our relationship with our Source!
Let’s pick up where we left off a couple chapters ago with the words, “The more you have, the more you’ll leave behind,” by discussing another source of income — INheritance (receive as an heir, receive by bequest, receive from by legal succession). Inheritance is a significant theme in the Bible and is counted as a major factor in our prosperity — both in the physical resources we are to inherit from our earthly fathers and the spiritual resourcefulness we are to inherit from our Heavenly Father. “Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the LORD shall greatly bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it.” (Deuteronomy 15:4) Unfortunately, if we don’t have the spiritual inheritance to go with the physical one, it will soon evaporate. In fact studies have shown that statistically, the majority of inheritances — whether they be one dollar or a million dollars — are gone within six months. Solomon apparently saw this same pattern in his day when he wrote, “An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.” (Proverbs 20:21) He also added, “A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame, and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren.” (Proverbs 17:2) He was suggesting that the wisdom or resourcefulness to handle the inherited resources is more important than the actual transfer of property in that the heritage of the master will pass to a servant rather than a son if the worker proves to have more of the master’s heart and mind than the biological heir does. Another of his sayings concerning inheritance may be a bit misleading at first, but it packs a very powerful message if thoughtfully considered. “A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.” (Proverbs 13:22) At first reading, it seems that the wise king is saying that a good grandfather should set up trust funds for his second-generation heirs; however, this concept would be totally unthinkable at the time of Solomon since there were carefully defined regulations of prime progenitor that controlled how inheritances were to be passed to the oldest male heir, allowing no leeway to designate funds for grandchildren. Apparently, the intended message here is that there was something else to be left in addition to physical assets. That extra element to the inheritance was the wisdom to manage the funds so that they do not dissipate in one generation, but remain so that they can be passed on to a subsequent one.
When my neighbor died, his widow soon put their house up for sell. When I saw the realtor’s sign in her yard, I paid her a visit and asked if she was simply downsizing or if she had plans to move out of state to live with her daughter. Her response shocked me — she was selling the house because she couldn’t pay the mortgage and also cover the monthly credit card payments. Even though her husband had always held good jobs right up to retirement, he had never paid off their home mortgage and had left behind a credit card bill of almost a hundred thousand dollars. Rather than leaving an inheritance of blessing, he had left behind debilitating debt. He had failed doubly in that he had not left any financial heritage to his family nor did he leave a legacy of financial wisdom. But my neighbor is not alone; there is a major portion of our current retirement-age generation who will leave behind nothing or possibly a deficit. With low investment returns in many investment markets, their long lifespan, and their famously non-apologetic lifestyles, this generation is burning through its fortune at a rate that won’t leave much for the next generation.
On the other end of the spectrum, a recent trend among millionaires is to leave nothing behind for their children — not because they don’t have the resources, but because they feel that their kids are unfit to inherit their wealth. One example was Gina Rinehart, the Australian billionaire who was at one time the richest woman in the world. In a court battle over the family trust, Ms. Rinehart said that her children lacked the requisite capacity or skill, knowledge, experience, judgment, and responsible work ethic to manage the business and inheritance. The Rinehart Paradox, named after Gina, delineates that wealthy parents aren’t raising kids to be good with wealth and are, therefore, refusing to leave them wealth. A study by US Trust reported that only half of millionaire baby boomers think it’s important to leave money to their kids. Why? Because they don’t trust the financial judgment of their children. The baby boomer generation has raised kids who are unequipped to inherit large amounts of unearned wealth. The kids have been given most of what they want since childhood and have followed their parents’ model of generous spending. Less than a third of baby boomers are confident their children will be prepared emotionally and financially to receive a financial legacy. “Our survey points to a shift in generational behavior and outlook, most likely shaped by personal experience and societal responses to economic realities,” said Keith Banks, president of US Trust. “The next generation has not experienced the consistently strong economic growth or investment returns that baby boomers experienced during the longest bull market in history.” About half of multi-millionaires who took part in the study said that their children wouldn’t reach a level of financial maturity to handle the family money until they are at least thirty-five years old. Half of the respondents had not told their children about their family wealth because they felt that the children would become lazy, make poor decisions, squander money, or fall prey to gold diggers. The sad truth here is that even though these wealthy parents have proven successful in accumulating wealth, they have tragically failed in the responsibility of passing on godly values and wisdom to their children. In their lives, they cheated their children out of the benefit of their wisdom; in their deaths, they cheated their children out of the profit gained through their wisdom. The heirs are the big losers — not so much in the money they are not inheriting, but in the expertise and values they should have learned from their parents.
On the other hand, there is another segment of today’s society that would rather leave their money to charity rather than their kids — not because they don’t trust their children, but because they feel that they are actually able to help them more by making them earn their own way rather than giving them a ready-made future. These parents want their kids to grow up with the same middle-class values they had. They want their offspring to learn about struggle, hard work, failure, the joy of earned success, and all the other lessons that helped the parents become successful. To date, thirty billionaires have signed the “Giving Pledge” — an initiative started in 2009 to give away half their wealth. Warren Buffett actually pledged to give away ninety-nine percent of his wealth, saying that he wanted to leave his kids enough to do anything they want, but not so much that they can do nothing. Dale Carnegie was even more emphatic when he said, “The almighty dollar bequeathed to a child is an almighty curse. No man has the right to handicap his son with such a burden as great wealth.”
The “hillbilly” slogan, “Do your givin’ while you’re livin’ so you’re knowin’ where it’s goin’” essentially sums up the philosophy spelled out by Randy Alcorn in The Treasure Principle where he laid out several principles as to why he made the decision to pass on his resources to charity rather than to simply leave them to his children. He enumerated several risks involved in deciding to wait until his death to distribute his wealth. If the economy changes, he would have less to give to the charitable causes he desired to fund. If his heart changed, he would not follow through on his decision to support these worthy causes. If his life ended suddenly or unexpectedly, he couldn’t be sure that his heirs would have the same motivation to champion the causes that were close to his heart. If the Lord returned before he died, nothing would be used to bless the ministries he had intended to help. When the Lord returns, all resources left behind will be burned up. (II Peter 3:10-12) The people who needed his help right now would not receive his help if they died before the gift is given in his will. He added that leaving a large inheritance behind for your children is not just a missed opportunity; it’s rarely in the best interest of the heirs because most family businesses fail within three generations and inherited wealth can destroy the entrepreneur spirit in the next generation. He also expressed the idea that the fact that God entrusted His resources to us rather than someone else is proof that He wants us — during our lifetime — to invest it in eternity rather than to pass on the responsibility to our children. We should let God decide what He wants to entrust to them. In essence, Alcorn has pushed the issue of inheritance beyond the question of resources, and even resourcefulness, to the Source.
When we understand the “big picture” of inheritance, we see that the most important aspect of leaving an heritance isn’t just leaving behind money, but instilling a true understanding of how God’s finances and economy work. In the case of Jacob and Esau, the younger brother managed to take away both the resources and resourcefulness. First, he stole the birthright by talking his older brother into trading his full financial inheritance for one bowl of soup. (Genesis 25:29-34) Next, Jacob and his mother concocted an elaborate scheme to cheat Esau out of the ancestral spiritual blessing of Abraham. (Genesis 27:1-35) But it was impossible to steal Esau’s relationship with God — his Source. The result: Esau testified that he had all that he needed, “Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” In the New Testament, we read the story of two brothers who had an inheritance problem. The younger brother — whom we know as the prodigal son — wasted his heritance and eventually showed up at his father’s front door begging for a job. Even though the father welcomed him back and celebrated his return, he admitted that all the remaining property was still willed to the older brother. (Luke 15:31) Apparently, the older brother not only got the got resources; he seemingly also got the resourcefulness in that he had developed a strong work ethic and a continuing position in the family business. (verse 29) However, the prodigal’s key was that he had an even stronger connection with the father (his source) than he realized. (verse 20)
The power of being in relationship with the Source more than depending on the resources or even the resourcefulness that we might inherit brings us to one other “in” factor: INvent (be the originator of, create or produce for the first time, create or design something that has not existed before). God Himself, personified as wisdom, is the Source that gives us the resourcefulness to invent and create our own resources, “I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.” (Proverbs 8:12) Such creativity produces what we might call “Holy Spirit entrepreneurs” who go beyond normal levels of accomplishments through divinely inspired ideas.