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This past section of the book was far more content heavy than the first section, as it focused on a lot of the mathematical equations involved in cash flows and interest rates. Most of it was equations and less on generic principles like the first part. Although, there were several things discussed in my last paper that are still applicable here. The biggest thing to touch on is how the importance of monetary wealth plays an integral role in the world of finances. As mentioned in my prior writing, without any sort of resources or finances, there would be no real way a corporation could stand. I want to focus more on the place of a love of money in business for Christians and Non-Christians alike. While the last paper touched on the subject, this will go deeper than before and connect it in relation to the real place of its importance in the two separate ways of thinking.
Without a doubt, money is one of the most important resources in the world today. The created system of paper and coin money has given an assigned value pretty much everything existent in the physical world. Because of the belief that God has a hand in everything, He is the driving force for the creation of an economic system. It is where the corruption of people comes into play that we see this system become abused and misused. But, when being used properly, people and businesses alike flourish. Therefore, the beauty of the created system is not found in the physical aspect of it, but rather the unseen and metaphysical portion. This is the part that we as Christian are to recognize and set our sights on.
The Bible itself directly speaks on economy and monetary wealth many times throughout the text. One of the times in which it mentions the concept above reads, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. (Matthew 6:19, New International Version). This goes back to that principle of focusing not on the bills within your hand or the number in the bank account. Everything that we value physically is but a passing thing. Like Matthew says, these things are only temporary. They can easily be destroyed and worn, or stolen by others. Christians are called to the higher train of thought that does not concern them with the momentary. They are called to seek out the eternal. This means that while the physical finances hold value on earth and in business, they are not to be the focus of what is held dear. Later on, we will come back to this principle when discussing what John Wesley has to say on the matter. For now, I want to move into the common Christian view and the Biblical view of finances today.
It seems that everyone has something different to say on the subject. Several of the articles I found touch on the misconceptions of money, giving readers the biblical ‘myths’. Others seek to simply break apart the actuality of the message God has for Christians in sharing the ‘facts on money’ as told by the Bible. Regardless of which one you prefer to look at, the real fact of the matter is that money is important. One article from Lifeway Christian Resources points out that, “Jesus talked more about money than even heaven and hell” (Darling, 2014) . This is true. More than topic of heaven and hell, same-sex marriage, and many other things the Christian community debates over today, money is something that is highly emphasized in the context of the biblical texts. Many parables elude to the concepts of a love for money. So, why is it we do not focus on capital more? That is a topic for another day. But, for now, we do need to recognize that is something we are supposed to have an in-depth interest in. Jesus cared about money, and we should too.
The aforementioned article brings forward many relevant and specific points founded in the biblical truth. One of my favorites, the title of the section summarizes by saying “Money is not evil, it is a tool given by God for our flourishing” (Darling, 2014) . Our love is to be rooted in that of God and his plan that I discussed above, not in the fleeting financial wealth. The other texts I found also elude to this same ideal. One text from The Gospel Coalition reminds readers that, like above “Money is a big deal in the Bible. We’re given more instruction in the Bible about money (more than 2,000 verses) than almost anything else. Jesus told many parables about it, and the apostles had a lot to say about it” (Cagle, 2018) . While their text is one that focuses on the myths side of things, there is a lot of crossover in the meaning. Overall, we are left with the clear message to continuously focus on plan God has for us to manage the finances he leaves for us instead of our own drive to collect money. The love should be for Him, not the draw of capital.
Next, I want to consider the secular viewpoint. We have talked over where our sights should be as Christians, but the question still remains of what specifically the plan is for money within the general business world. Thankfully, there are also many resources out there about this as well. This includes our textbook. The fact that there are several large print resources out there in order for people to learn how to properly handle finances proves that it is an integral part in business. Within the book, however, it is more informational than it is persuasive. Its goal is to pass on information considered vital to a corporation rather than discuss how important money itself is and the place it should have in our lives. This simply follows the train of thought that financing a business is important and you need to know how, which it is. In the funding section of Chron’s website, it is easy to find many resources that discuss this subject. One particular is similar in style to the idea of the textbook as just discussed, mostly to inform. From this idea, one can come to the conclusion that most businesses and the business man’s approach to money is not necessarily the common perception that is must be amassed any cost, but rather because it is a that is just an integral part of business that needs to be considered. Despite not being specifically guided by biblical principles, not all companies are inherently evil. In fact, whether following the Bible or not, corruption can seek in just due to the nature of humanity. The Bible just offers a more fulfilling long-term goal and focus for the vision of a business.
One more thing to consider is the words of John Wesley after breaking down the various biblical and non-biblical points of view on the value of money. He encourages listeners to “Make all you can, save all you can, give all you can” (John Wesley). This points in the direction of doing all that you can to be wise with your finances. It is something I have heard before in relation to money management. The main difference in comparing the Christian and secular views is once more the meaning ascribed due to values and purpose. A Christian would take these words and apply them in the way in which they can honor God due to the messages provided in the Bible. While someone outside of the church might do this for the sake of personal financial security, greed, or any of a number of reasons they have decided are the best. Regardless of the context, it is a good principle for guiding oneself in the usage of money. The more you gain, the more you have, and thus the more you can save. When you have more saved, it frees you to comfortably share the wealth and do what you can to help others.
frees you to comfortably share the wealth and do what you can to help others.
As Christians, it is important to be responsible with managing your wealth. We are called to this responsibility to handle our God given resources. This is why it is necessary to study the equations and content that might seem less than vital to people like myself. Smarter money management frees us up to be wiser in the biblical ways of finances and to follow a model like the one outlines by John Wesley above. In order to keep our sights on the heavenly goal and not our own with money, it is necessary to keep reading the verses and constantly remember the call that God has for us as we step into the world of business. This chapter in the text along with the recommended verses for the section has given me a lot to think about. While struggling to completely understand the given equations and concepts, the drive to learn what they mean and how to learn has only increased. Understanding the worldly systems will make money management easier for me in the future and then I can personally assist the companies I am involved with in the future and potentially my own business. The entire section coupled with the content required for the paper all combined to create an importance for me not their prior, so there is not really a particular thing to pick out aside from the overarching concept that these little equations help to make the general practice more organized in the world of business. In considering both secular and Christian viewpoints, I am walking away with a greater understanding of where our sights should be set in considering corporate and personal finances.
References
Cagle, C. (2018, January 22). 5 Lies Christians Tell About Money. The Gospel Coalition. Retrieved from https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/5-lies-christans-tell-money/
Cagle, C. (2018, January 22). 5 Lies Christians Tell About Money. The Gospel Coalition. Retrieved from https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/5-lies-christans-tell-money/
Darling, D. (2014, January 1). 7 Financial Facts All Christians Should Know. Lifeway Christian Resources. Retrieved from https://www.lifeway.com/en/articles/financial-facts-all-christians-should-know
Francis, K. (n.d.). The Importance of Funding for Business. Chron. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/importance-funding-business-59.html
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