Realizing True Gold In Greater Returns
 |
Starting a business / being self employed...
so easy, even monks can do it...
for 400 years.
|
Material wealth is often times used as a measure of 'success' or 'value' on the earth... and for the sake of this article I will concede to use such a shortsighted measure and way of thinking to prove a more important point.
There are daily lessons that life is waiting to teach us, but often times we look for the answers in the wrong places.
There are lessons to be learned, showing our mistakes, and answers to why certain things haven't worked out for us.
The easy 'answer' is to blame someone else, or some thing larger than us (inflation, the economy, the government, the corporations, rich people, etc.) or make sorry excuses (“life is unfair”, “I never get a break”, “I can't change things”, etc.).
Some people even suggest theories which contradict the manner the world has developed since man began to hunt and gather his food.
But this is, I think, bad advice built upon poor thinking.
When we take responsibility for our decisions, our place in life, and work with the cards we've been dealt... clarity is possible.
We may find our role in our perceived 'problem' when first looking at ourselves.
For some minds, any given problem is a reason to find a solution.
For other minds, any problem is a reason to quit or give up... or blame others.
We may find the only (and the first person) to complain to is the person we see in the mirror.
Taking responsibility for decisions made, or for not learning important details, is not for the weak or for the victim-minded.
We cannot blame our parent(s) / guardian(s) for our economic standing in life once we are adults.
Instead, consider they likely did their best and had their own challenges to deal with.
One's parent(s) / guardian(s) may have made mistakes or decided to pursue certain avenues for certain reasons.
Every second of every day grants an opportunity to learn how our past mistakes (and triumphs) came about... and that of other people.
Every second of every day grants an opportunity to make wiser decisions for the future (possibly learning from the mistakes and triumphs of others as well).
What is learned today, and decided upon today, can change tomorrow when those decisions are acted upon.
Without growth, the same situation is bound to be repeated.
Every single person alive is born with certain gifts, or talents, or abilities, or roles in this life... each contributing in some unique way.
As one gift / talent is pursued, others may come into clearer view.
These 'ways' are not always obvious to people's eyes, but sometimes we can 'see' if we look closely and think.
Even an invalid plays a role in the greater society by causing others to look after them, giving purpose to the caretaker(s).
If the invalid refuses help (accepting help is a choice out of humility), then the invalid has rejected at least this very basic role in life by rejecting being a recipient of charity.
Refusing to be loved or cared for breaks the natural order of human tendency... much how refusing to love and care for others also breaks down the good we have come to learn and would desire for ourselves.
Consider this man who, although born an invalid (specifically without arms or legs), has encouraged and influenced thousands of people throughout the world by his positive attitude and his life example.
He did not let his physical reality defeat his hopes and dreams and achievements.
That man's life is a testament to many things, one being his upbringing and the work of his parents in loving him, teaching him, and praising him despite the physical reality (among other facts you can read about at that link).
The poor or physically challenged person can sometimes be overwhelmingly temped to blame others for their situation, or not try at all.
Ignorantly, the rich blame the poor while the poor blame the rich... yet they each don't realize their interdependent roles... blinded by misguided blame and shunning their responsibilities to one another.
How has blame brought lasting solutions without some effort to either remedy, reconcile, or respond in a constructive manner?
Have you realized a person is only poor in their minds and their hearts, regardless of earthly wealth or the lack of it?
Have you realized a person is only rich by how they draw others to do good, also regardless of earthly wealth or lack of it?
Before laying blame, an individual should consider the decisions they've made in life.
Some very wealthy people today started out very poor, or in a disadvantaged place.
It was a desire to get out of a desperate situation that fueled motivation.
Yet not every wealthy person is happy or satisfied or content, but surprisingly miserable or lacking purpose beyond the physical.
Another reality is also noticed: children born into great wealth can sometimes be unmotivated and pursue things which hardly contribute to society or brings real value to their lives.
I have seen a grievous evil under the sun:
wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners,
or wealth lost through some misfortune,
so that when they have children
there is nothing left for them to inherit.
- Ecclesiastes 5: 13-14Consider how timeless this Scripture is, and how factual, when comparing it to this news article that reveals 70% of rich families lose their wealth by the second generation.
What does that article say is the number one cause?
Regarding the children of some rich people:
“Most of them have no clue as to the value of money or how to handle it.”
It is not only the children of the rich that have no clue... but obviously those who struggle with debt, paying bills, or complain about not having enough or not being happy economically speaking.
I had grandparents who managed to buy and pay off a house while earning wages at the lowest spectrum.
Granted, their wages did not suffer the stagnation that occurred since then.
Their discipline, prioritizing, and not taking on debt (nor refinancing or using credit cards unwisely) is how they avoided what others have suffered.
Since wages have not tracked productivity as shown in this graph, I suggest using the greater talents / gifts you have (your mind being one) besides your labor as income (if you complain).
 |
| Dark blue line shows what wages would / should be having continued to measure productivity. |
Surely not every individual's situation shows themselves to blame, but perhaps they are nearsighted or stuck thinking in a poor manner about themselves or about this gift of life / existence.
One generation (the parents) may grow wealth by their hard work and investments, while the next generation (their children), having never participated in the hard work and thinking of investments, or the effort to earn, keep, and grow wealth... lose it.
There are some people who are truly helpless and in need of more than financial assistance... and sometimes they are those with much wealth attached to their names, while more obvious those who have given up on working or life in general (the homeless or addict or mentally unstable).
We all need to be cared for spiritually, emotionally, psychologically, economically... and these needs start with us as being providers.
Consider again the invalid example earlier mentioned, and how instead of being a receiver of such (which was allowed and likely expected by others), he chose to be a giver.
Beyond that example, there are those who have a capacity for much more... but usually lack vision or, for some reason, doubt what is possible for their lives.
And that doubt goes beyond the basics of pursuing a means to live (earning money), but speaks on many levels and about many things.
Not every wealthy or materially successful person is a genius, or magnificently gifted... but are quite common when it comes to their humanity, fears, doubts, and challenges.
They have simply put in the time and effort to learn, then apply what they learned, and have worked out every challenge towards resolutions.
They have taken a few bags of gold and turned them into many.
They worked hard.
They took the time to learn how to do it, and followed the rules and exercised discipline.
What is found with physically (financially) successful people is a focus on certain details of life while ignoring others.
It is very possible to focus on the positive (hope) while ignoring the negative (doubt).
I don't mean ignoring facts of life that are detrimental or negative altogether, but training the mind to not allow the negative to overwhelm the positive facts of life (to not be overcome by doubt, fear, noise).
Consider, if you will, how the good far outweighs the negative on this earth.
It may be difficult at first if you are accustomed to listening to all the negative and fear-based news media.
It may be challenging if you are easily distracted and instigated by the negative.
Perhaps you unfortunately grew up hearing pessimistic or negative comments made towards you or about life in general.
But rest assured, you have power over your thoughts and can train your mind to look for, and find, the good.
Eventually, this training can transform the manner your mind works when challenged with a negative situation, like a temptation to think negatively about yourself, or to focus more on something that used to derail you or disable you, instead of looking how to overcome.
With practice, the effort becomes clearer.
Consider this great lesson:
“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
“The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
“ ‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
- Matthew 25: 14-30All things come at a cost.
This parable speaks of both spiritual and earthly matters.
The 'cost' of the man who did nothing with his talent, but simply buried it and then made excuses, shows the burden of doing nothing... or of not acting upon the gift / talent / role that one is given.
The seemingly harsh response from the master reflects the fact the servant was already provided with the means to achieve... but they chose not to work or utilize their gift / talent.
Consider how that man with no arms or legs did not let his physical reality defeat him from achieving physical activities.
That man has seen more, has lived more, has inspired more people than many people with arms and legs and many more initial gifts... but likely squander them or do not fully utilize them.
That man could have easily made excuses, complaining about the obvious (not having arms or legs).
He could have simply received charity from the government, but he chose to work.
He chose to live life to the fullest.
He chose to be a source of charity in a very unique way to others, instead of being a recipient.
Consider how what may have been an obvious 'negative' thing (not having arms or legs) could very well have been the motivating factor for that man to overcome.
This reveals how challenges, failures, setbacks, tragedies are turned into strength to propel us into greener pastures (physically and / or spiritually).
Not every person who is very capable of building a mass fortune has their hearts set on building an earthly fortune.
Thus the parable is not about making money (although it uses that basic example), but is really about doing something with what God has gifted you.
If you are alive, you have been gifted the gift of life on earth!
You have at least one big bag of gold.
If you can read this message, you have internet access and can comprehend things.
You have another bag of gold!
Do you understand how blessed you are?
You are alive and you have the ability to communicate with millions upon millions of our fellow human beings on earth.
You have an opportunity to learn from them, their failures and triumphs.
You can learn from billionaires, from volunteers (and all in between), also from righteous people and from wicked people (and all those in between)... all in learning what to do and what not to do and how to avoid extremes.
The world's libraries are at your finger tips... a phenomenon quite unique today.
There are many bags of gold awaiting you to open... many returns for your bag(s) of gold.
Not only is the Word of God accessible in written form online, but so are the methods of humanity's collective existence and the insights of how to do almost anything imaginable.
The Word of God is the priceless message found in the hearts of the believers and commonly found in print... yet its understanding is something mysterious.
What comes before the gold, or surpasses the value of gold?
How much better to get wisdom than gold,
to get insight rather than silver!
- Proverbs 16: 16Perhaps the world is waiting for you to share your story with them... so others may learn from you.
For some people, one of their gifts / talents is making money... and in doing so, they redistribute their wealth to others by the buying and selling of things, or building businesses that employ many people, or donating monies to causes they support.
For some people their gift / talent is their focus on people, or things besides the economic world.
These people are those who sometimes receive donations in order to pursue the service of others.
The better of these two examples, in my opinion, is the person who works to support themselves and also helps others.
They work and are charitable, like Paul when he refused to take what was his right to take.
I think this is a better example because, in mentioning extremes, sometimes there are people only focused on making money and not helping people.
There are also people focused on acting like they are helping people, but simply are focused on receiving donations to support themselves.
The heart can be considered the same (selfish) in both cases.
However, looking closer we may see one person serves purpose while being honest about their selfishness, while the other is an actor and knowingly deceives others.
And there are a great variety of people in between that also do their part.
Sister Theresa pursued the service of people very poor and very weak.
She had a small army of servants also volunteering alongside her (magnifying her love and effort) and millions of dollars donated to that cause.
She was already one of the wealthiest people who have ever lived before receiving one penny in donations.
She had apparently been gifted, like the parable teaches, and was one of those who put to work and multiplied what she received.
The returns from utilizing her gifts / talents is reflected in the thousands upon thousands of people she has helped, and the hundreds she inspired to also help many more thousands... and this will likely continue into generations.
What about the many other saints who have poured out their gifts and talents for eternal returns, realized sometimes obviously on earth, while surely realized in heaven?
Value is relative regardless of what popular sentiments may suggest or define it to be.
Now to speak of earthly treasure and this world's 'gold'.
What would you do if you inherited a million ($1M) U.S. dollars?
Would you keep that money hidden or buried in the ground somewhere?
Would you try to live off that amount for the rest of your life or until it ran out?
If so, the inflation rate in the U.S. is estimated to be about 1.9% for year 2018.
This means $1M doing nothing will lose value and be 'worth' or 'valued' at $981,000 by next year.
That means by simply sitting idle, $19,000 was 'lost' according to everyone else working (or having their talents / gold work for them) and other factors.
Look again at that graph showing productivity and wage stagnation.
The 'cost' of everything else would have risen 1.9%, while that $1M buried in the ground or not being properly used would be worth less because it was not put to work... just like that parable teaches.
If that money was used (spent), deduct $19,000 from your current living expenses (and whatever else you may be tempted to spend such a windfall on).
How quickly and easily it can go away.
Consider the reality that 78% of professional athletes go bankrupt or experience financial stress despite making millions upon millions of dollars per year.
Simply hiring professional money managers to handle your wealth is not a surety... because people are easily fooled, easily robbed, and thieves abound.
Pursue wisdom and insight, otherwise you may be robbed without knowing how or understanding why.
The professional athlete who goes bankrupts after earning a large of money is like someone who is an expert in their specific field, yet has no financial education.
The spending habits and betting on the career lasting a long time is also unwise.
Thus, having a mountain of money in the bank does not mean you will stay wealthy, but having a mountain of wisdom in your memory bank can produce a steady and sure income and grow wealth abundantly (again, spiritually and physically speaking).
It is also estimated that about 70% of lottery winners go broke or in debt a few short years after winning a large sum of money.
They also did not pursue wisdom or insight.
Wealth by itself does not produce wisdom or insight, for such attributes are gotten by the work of the individual.
Wisdom and insight cannot be 'bought', but must be learned and experienced.
Would you place that $1M in a bank's savings account earning 2% ($20,000 per year / $1,167 per month)?
This is the very least option mentioned in the parable, since money on deposit with a bank can be used as loans to other people (and a small amount being returned to you, its steward).
At least that 2% is a small (very small) step ahead of inflation, but after taxes the inflation would have done its damage.
Would you buy a $1M real estate income property, free and clear, earning $64,000 per year / $5,333 per month after all expenses and taxes?
Consider the work of managing a property and also managing people... these are great responsibilities because one is dealing with human lives and their living spaces.
Would you buy a $2.5M income property, putting down the $1M and leveraging the rest with debt, earning $147,000 per year / $12,250 per month after expenses and taxes?
This example of investing using debt as leverage is the most common and works when done right.
In this example, the down payment would actually be less - usually less than the 40% down example, but more often something like 20% to 30% - but I made this a very conservative and simple example.
Would you buy $2M in a company's stock that pays an annual 7% dividend per share, leveraging half of the purchase on margin (half / $1M at a cost of 6% interest), earning $84,000 per year / $7,000 per month after interest and taxes?
This example, like the purchase of a $2.5M income property, is more complicated than buying something in full (the $1M property).
As the stock / equity paying a dividend goes lower in price, the dividend amount increases... so there is an inherent risk / reward.
Stocks / equities can fluctuate in price / value much faster than real estate, bringing a complete loss or an impressive return.
As you can see, the more knowledge is attributed to such things, the greater returns are possible while their understanding minimizes apparent risk... and responsibility increases as well.
A novice pilot with very little experience may be unsure, while a professional pilot with thousands of hours of experience knows all the risks involved and how to handle challenges... yet both have parachutes.
What does your life parachute look like?
I mention these options because these are things I am a bit familiar with... and those numbers are what I looked up while writing this blog to give real-world references.
They are not an encouragement to pursue money, but rather to pursue what you can handle and be responsible to your fellow man with.
As of this article's writing (17 April 2018), there is a savings account offering a 2% return.
I looked on the commercial real state website loopnet for income property listings and found some priced at $1M and others at $2.5M near where I currently reside.
I also researched the cost of a mortgage at today's interest rates for those properties and calculated their cost when compared to the properties.
Lastly, I found a stock (UBS) that is currently offering a 7% return, and I estimated the cost of using margin (borrowing from a brokerage) and deducted 35% capital gains tax from the dividend's income.
Not everyone is gifted $1M in earthly terms, but this again is measuring value in only one way.
Do you know how much you are valued, or how much your labor is truly worth, or your mind's concepts, or your heart's secrets, or your example on earth, or your influence with and through others?
You, as a creation and manifestation of God's image and likeness, are priceless.
Whether you have billions in the bank or are billions in debt, or have no arms and legs or have four of each, you are priceless in God's sight.
This world's popular consensus of the value of some human beings is quite low, while for some other human beings a higher value is given.
The world can trick people into believing all kinds of things, and one of the nearsighted ideas is that people are valued according to earthly measurements (money, what they do for a living, their appearances, etc.).
But they have it all wrong.
They are only measuring 'value' very narrowly.
Consider how nature is itself one of the most bountiful gifts given to mankind, and also how knowledge and wisdom is ever growing and gifted into posterity... its accumulation inspiring every subsequent generation.
The natural order of the world is priceless, yet if humans were to attempt a valuation, water is being valued by certain individuals at $73T (trillion), trees $16T, coral reefs $10T, fish in the sea $274B (billion), plankton $222B, bees and butterflies $170B (and more at the link).
I think these valuations are, as many other things, measured in relation to man's estimations according to man's utility of them.
I think those values are quite low all things related, considering how mankind pollutes the world.
If I have an oil field, and my business is selling oil, I'm going to likely believe my oil is the best, or that oil is very important and necessary.
I'll be likely to estimate oil (and my oil) to be worth more than what someone who is in a contrarian business would measure oil's worth.
I would likely have the same attitude regardless of what my business (or interest) is.
Interestingly solar power / energy / sunlight is not measured in that article, which would be an astronomical amount since the sun's light gives life to all things physical and is one of the ingredients that sparks life.
All life on earth is dependent on the sun's light (photosynthesis) and sunlight drives the ocean's currents, warms the earth, et al.
As to manmade and man-imagined value concepts in that article, the United States is valued at $17T ... the average U.S. District Judge valued at $201,000 and the average worker valued at $47,000.
Consider how Yeshua had no stone to lay His head on, yet He is King of kings and was the very presence of God on earth... He is Creator.
The example of Christ is the example of how one should value themselves, not from an arrogant point of view, but in keeping one's vessel (the Lord's Temple - your body) free from things that cause contamination (spiritually and physically).
Think again of that man without arms and legs and how he gives more than takes... and Theresa.
Value yourself in terms of being a spigot of giving as Yeshua gave, knowing full well your treasured returns await you in the heavenly realms... despite how earthly investments turn out.
While you are on earth, your earthly pursuits should only be limited according to the measure of honesty, dignity, and honor your work brings to yourself and others.
If you can honestly and legally make for yourself all the money in the world... and that pursuit is utilized for good, and doesn't somehow cause corruption in your heart, I don't think God would oppose you (but may have purposed such a task and responsibility to you).
But if in your pursuits of this world's gold, in utilizing your gifts / talents, you somehow must be dishonest, or immoral, or dishonorable... perhaps such paths are not to be pursued, but instead the pursuit of those who allow for what is good, right, and moral.
If in pursuing all the wealth in the world you lose your self, realize what cost your soul has... and wonder if it is worth it.
Consider how mankind has reaped his sustenance on earth for thousands upon thousands of years... and how value is relative and defined quite distinctly in each person's minds despite a dollar amount being given to practically all 'things'.
Just because one person (or all the people on earth) agrees that a certain item is worth a certain amount does not mean I agree (or I have to agree).
But if this is what everyone believes or perceives, I may not be able to convince them otherwise.
I may be compelled to 'pay' that certain amount unless there is another way... or navigate this world according to the perceptions of others.
God provides for such ways, yet one must work and do their part (the parable).
Realize that value is well beyond the measure of paper money or digital blips on a computer screen.
What if all you had was a library, or the internet, and your time?
Notice that these are free in some cases, or at least two of these three are free.
I once started a very small business with $300.
Before spending any money I took several weeks to brainstorm, plan, and work nearly full time in developing a plan to limit risk and prevent failure.
I was 'working' for free, but was hoping this work would eventually pay.
In the first year, the hard work paid off and those $300 turned into $7,000.
A few years later, that little business was grossing nearly $25,000.
It could have been grown much further, but my interests changed and I focused on other things.
The amount of work (or time spent 'working the business) once the business was 'running' was minimal... and this was my goal (to have money or an asset work for itself with me physically doing less).
Before that business, I had focused on real estate.
After two years of hard work, of study, trial and error, while also doing other work to pay for my bills, I used a few hundred dollars (about $350) towards advertising, marketing, and other expenses... and eventually closed a deal that rendered $35,000.
From the moment I received the phone call from a seller of a property, to the date escrow closed, I had a $35,000 check in my hands (31 days).
The year was 2006.
If we divide $35k into those two years, I earned about $1,458 a month ($8.41 per hour in 2006 dollars, with inflation adjusted today is $10.39).
If we calculate it according to the actual work (not including time and effort in learning and making mistakes), I earned $218 per hour - 40 hours a week times four weeks (160 hours).
However, most of the 'time' in that month was simply waiting for others to finish their work - escrow and title company.
To really narrow down my costs and the time / work I spent on that particular project; talking with and negotiating with the owner, the paperwork regarding that property, and selling it to and negotiating with my end buyer, I would say it was about 20 hours of work that entire month.
$1,700 per hour.
To now go further, I actually made a mistake with my calculations and shortchanged myself with that transaction.
The equity I could have realized was about $100,000... so that was an expensive lesson.
I acquired the property at a strike price near the mid $600,000s and offered it to an end buyer for a $45,000 difference to me, but after some negotiations and mistakes on my part, I settled at $35,000.
However, that end buyer later made repairs and the property was valued at about $1.2M.
They took a larger risk, had performed more work (or had more knowledge and preparedness), and used more money in order to realize a larger return (several hundreds of thousands of dollars).
My spread of $100,000 was very reasonable considering all things, but such are the lessons we learn after the facts... which help us do better in the future.
What if, looking at my real-world example, you worked for a low hourly wage ($8) for two years in order to learn how to earn a larger amount for the rest of your life?
This is, both spiritually and physically speaking, the 'work' of turning a bag of gold into several.
Years before I began the journey looking to utilize my gifts / talents into earthly measures, I had worked for other business people.
Looking back, I realize I began 'learning' when working for them; looking closely at how business functioned and how people spoke, were treated, and all things related.
This is the point of putting your gifts and talents to work... but not only focusing on this world's returns, but primarily on those promised from Above.
From what I've seen so far in my 43rd year of life on this earth, is this: no human who has ever lived can blame another human being for their personal choices in life.
All realities being considered (times of slavery, or war, of great hostilities), it is how the individual reacts, responds, and handles things that seem to be out of their control.
I started my first business during one of the saddest periods of my life: my maternal grandfather was dying and eventually passed away the same year I realized success.
Yet his death motivated me to try and not allow failure to deter me.
The lessons learned have brought priceless returns despite me retiring from that effort.
Some years after that real estate endeavor was abandoned for another pursuit (stock / equity trading), and that effort saw success (and failures and lessons), I found myself a servant in the economic sense once again.
I had lost nearly everything (purposely and by incompetence) and I found myself having to exchange my talents / gifts in service to another person.
I was like a virtual slave to them in certain terms.
I had only myself and my choices to blame (and take responsibility for) when I lost my economic independence... yet the lessons from that time have paid in greater returns beyond physical measurement.
It was a blessing when someone took a risk on me and allowed me to live in their home.
They offered a room and board (food, utilities) in exchange for my labor, my chauffeuring them around, and several other efforts that were quite expensive (typing court motions)... but I was in no place to negotiate or demand money, but accepted the situation as God's will (and thus it was).
I had become a servant / slave in the simplest of terms, short of being mistreated or beaten... but still being challenged to deal with difficult characters and difficult situations all around me.
However, although I had lost nearly all of my worldly wealth, the wisdom and insights from Above stayed with me (those gifts of wisdom and insight learned years previously when born again).
What happened was those earthly examples of 'gold' were traded for an experience which brought even greater returns that I can honestly measure.
More bags of gold in the form of wisdom and insight.
I believe we serve a God who truly grants us the desires of our hearts... but we must be careful what exactly it is we desire.
I have personally experienced receiving many of my heart's desires, only to realize my heart was tinged with detrimental desires... and I had desired the wrong things... or desired them in a wrong way.
My confused heart desired some things out of selfishness, desiring corruptible things, things deplorable... yet I received them.
When the relative stability of earthly wealth went away, yet another great lesson was being taught to me... and unfortunately I learn some lessons the hard way - by first-hand experience.
What we set our hearts and minds on can come to pass... and I'm not talking about a silly new age 'secret' or some other false lead.
What I am expressing is the fact that God's love grants mankind their heart's desire... even things that will kill us and may eternally destroy us.
We truly have freedom of choice and are responsible for our vessels' navigation.
The lesson found in the parable of the prodigal son is key.
The father gave his son what he wanted, although it caused the estate to be prematurely divided.
The father may have suspected his son was incapable of handling the wealth... but his love for the son gave way to his son's desire to leave home with his share of the inheritance.
This happened to me.
Yet the Lord has replenished me with a greater inheritance than I could ever have imagined, both in physical terms and in even greater exponential spiritual terms.
The Lord has truly accepted me back and placed His signet ring on my finger.
The gratitude one senses when understanding His grace and love sparks in us a desire to do for Him what He has done for us, it is not difficult to understand how God is Love.
Comments