“It is well with the man who deals generously and lends;
who conducts his affairs with justice.”
Psalm 112:5
Learning the Hard Way I learned a valuable lesson during my first months of marriage. Mandy and I were living with my parents for about three months after we got married. Through no fault of ours, we had to move from the house we were renting and had nowhere else to go while we were in the process of buying our first home. We didn’t have two nickels to rub together at the time but when my sister asked me to lend her $100 to pay a bill I said, “No problem.” When Mandy found out that I had wiped out our account to “loan” the money to my financially inept sister, she was understandably livid. The Psalmist states that we should be generous. However, I was not wise in my affairs and nearly received due justice at the hands of my own wife. Lessons learned Pay the Lord His tithes. After all, it all belongs to Him anyway. Give additional offerings. I once heard a sermon where the preacher equated offerings to us standing on one side of a fence tossing shovels of dirt over and God on the other side with a backhoe dumping buckets back on our side. Structure your finances in a way that allows you to give to others in need. We sponsor a child named Jeremy in Central America. Keep cash on hand to give to those holding cardboard signs. I knew of a woman in Wilmington, NC that spent years panhandling. She lived under a bridge near downtown. Upon her death, it was discovered that she had a will that donated over $200,000 dollars to an orphanage. God used her to funnel money where He wanted. Be willing to loan money with the understanding that you may never be repaid. Your repayment may come on the other side of Heaven. My uncle generously loaned us money for the down payment on the aforementioned first house. I did pay it back with sweat equity. Talk to your spouse before making decisions about loaning money outside of the above points. My parent's couch was not comfortable. The Truth & Challenge Remember Acts 20:35, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Even Santa Claus subscribed to this truth, “Tis better to give than receive.”
Ron Cash MD5 Facilitator
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