By now, we have recovered from that horrible event that occurs every year known
as 'Christmas let down'. It occurs approximately mid-January when we open those
dreaded envelopes and have to face the music of our overspending during the
Christmas rush. For most of us today, we panic as we open the credit card bill
and wonder how we will pay for those purchases.
Is that being a good steward? The Bible teaches we are simply stewards of what
we have. It is not really ours; we are managing it for the true owner, our
heavenly Father. Being a good steward or manager means we will manage it just
as the owner, our heavenly Father, would. How would He manage it?
One of the greatest causes for our credit card dilemmas is our inability to save.
Genesis 40-42 gives us the account of Joseph and his role in Pharaoh's household.
We have the account of the dream where Joseph interprets that there would be seven
years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. His answer was to build great
warehouses to store food for the famine years. Joseph forced the people to put
away for the future.
We call this the 'Joseph principle', the understanding that we must forego
spending all we have now and put some away for the future. For many, this sounds
impossible. Yet with some effort and prayer, most can save something. Why not
$10 or $100 a month? Think what would happen in one year. You probably would
save enough to pay for Christmas.
Wouldn't it be great to arrive in January and owe NOTHING!
Think of the freedom you would enjoy! Many are beginning to experience the
freedom of saving for the future. Why don't you join the number?
Question:
So what's happening with the stock market these days?
The good news is that the stock markets are heading up. Since Sept 11, after the
World Trade Center bombing the Dow Jones Industrial Average has grown by 28% and the
Standard and Poor's 500 Index has increased by 21%. These indices are a collection
of U.S. company's stocks that can be used to determine how well the U.S. stock market is doing.
However, we should expect slow and steady growth. Many analysts believe that there will
be single digit investment returns as opposed to the double digit returns that we saw
just a few years ago.
Something to think about...
If the automobile had followed the same development as the computer, a Rolls-Royce would
today cost $100, get a million miles per gallon, and explode once a year killing everyone
inside.-Robert Cringely
