PRUDENCE – MANAGING GOD’S RESOURCES – FINANCIAL INTELLIGENCE: THE WISE PATH IN DOING LIFE THROUGH PRUDENCE!
“A PRUDENT man FORESEETH the evil, and HIDETH himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished” Proverbs 22:3.
“The WISE in heart shall be called PRUDENT: and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning” Proverbs 16:21.
PRUDENCE – the management of God endowed and given resources in terms of – TALENT/SKILL, MONEY, TIME, MATERIAL (PHYSICAL SUPPORT) AND PEOPLE – that are within reach to do PURPOSEFUL diligent work. That’s the definition God taught me in His WISDOM FOR LIVING SCHOOL. And in doing any form of business in the kingdom, I have learned and yet learning what it takes to be FULFILLED beyond SUCCESS or been SUCCESSFUL; and that’s the need to be PRINCIPLED, RESPONSIBLE, ACCOUNTABLE, DILIGENT AND PRUDENT in matters of doing life and godly living.
Therefore, considering the context of been PRUDENT – there’s the need to be prudent in the management of God given resources that is/are available to you, in doing life and living godly. You need to learn from our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ, who in His humanity in earthly ministerial assignment and mandate of Father God, NEVER waisted the would have been considered left overs – fragments – instead, after feeding the five thousands men beside women and children with the five loaves and two fishes, He ensured that the fragments were gathered into twelve (12) baskets for other cause or causes – Matthew 14:15-21.
“. . . 20 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they TOOK UP of the FRAGMENTS that remained twelve baskets full . . .” Matthew 14:15-21 (Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17).
Considering been PRUDENT in one resource – FINANCES. The need to ensure and be prudently intelligent in finance may not be appreciated until you hit the bottom as I have experience, when all you have worked for, given or inherited disappears as found in the Prodigal son lifestyle of Luke 15:11-24 and Isaac bankruptcy in famine (austerity) of Genesis 25 and 26 respectively.
My mentor and father in the Lord of blessed memory once said in a marriage seminar:
“DON’T BORROW MONEY FROM YOUR WIFE” simply because in the wife context world – “IT’S AN INTEREST-ONLY BUSINESS AND PAYING BACK NEVER ENDS”
I promise you, you will pay INTEREST-ONLY for all your life and the loan will never be acknowledged as paid. That’s the lesson I learnt not early enough. It took me years to put together what that statement means. What I have which I considered to have been mine in a way, is called OURS; but what children and wife has, they say it’s THEIRS and not ours respectively. Is that not been selfish by these two groups? – this is how I have always thought prior, probably I may be wrong. Do anybody have/having such experience or its just me in my world? Help me out if you are.
I later in course of time discovered that the notepad where my wife wrote she lent me money years and years ago that I could hardly remember again, is still intact long after I’ve fully paid back within the framework of time agreed even when the purpose was still about family cause and causes. For her money is her’s and not ours indeed. Each time I have requested she should indicates fully paid with date on her notepad then, she said NO. When I asked why, she would say whatever I’ve paid as far as she is concern is ‘INTEREST ONLY’ because money taken from a woman is never fully paid just as my father in the Lord have told me it thought us in the marriage seminar. She said, that’s the only act to help me understand what PRUDENCE and being PRUDENT really means in financial matters – the management of God given resource, while you have to live and do life WITHIN your available resource and not someone else. That’s what I ascribed as to – LIVE/LIVING WITHIN YOUR FAITH! – which means otherwise as living within your means as said previously.
Honestly, l’ve been paying the bill in years now, over and over again and I am still being told it’s INTEREST-ONLY. She taught me to learn PRUDENCE as a serious matter and good ‘FINANCIAL INTELLIGENCE’ in the School of LESSON, of not wanting to borrow for any thing that doesn’t lead to PRODUCTIVITY in terms of – innovating, creating and exploring. Her action have broaden my horizon in terms of living far ABOVE the norms as may be applicable in many ways especially – in living in a western world capitalism – where there’s an indebtedness of society’s at large. And never again to lend from interest only Business; not even in Property Mortgages, Credit Cards menace as dominant in the western world, and which many part of the world are now embracing despite the lessons from the economic meltdown of 2008 and other recession that have emanated prior and out of it, till present day.
However, thanks to my lovely wife and her school of interest only lesson which my father in the Lord was right eventually. It has made me wiser today than ever before. Bless you HONEY if you are reading this note, ensure you’ve written on your notepad – fully paid and dated. If not reading this, which I hope not, to save my day. Lol.
Do anybody has such experience? Bless you too. Let me have your feedback. Thanks.
SCRIPTURAL THOUGHTS WORTH PONDERING IN CONTEXT:
“A PRUDENT man FORESEETH the EVIL, and HIDETH himself: but the simple PASS on, and are PUNISHED” Proverbs 22:3.
“The WISE in heart shall be called PRUDENT: and the sweetness of the lips increaseth LEARNING” Proverbs 16:21.
“Thou wilt shew me the PATH OF LIFE: in thy PRESENCE is fulness of joy; at thy RIGHT HAND there are pleasures for evermore” Psalms 16:11.
“But the PATH of the JUST (RIGHTEOUS) is as the SHINING LIGHT, that shineth more and more unto the PERFECT (DAWN) day.” Proverbs 4:18 (Emphasis Mine).
REV CHUKIE MORSI