Get Rich Today!
Hi ladies!
I hope you had a wonderful month of July. This month, we are going to candidly discuss getting rich quick. The world is in the middle of hard economic times and money is on many people’s minds. Many get-rich-quick schemes have begun to crop up all over the place. The lottery and gambling are a few common ones that have been there for a very long time, but there are also “work at home” programs, online surveys and so on. We can’t forget the “419″ emails from Mrs. Somebody stating that she is starting a lucrative business and would like your financial input. Here is a funny one I just found online:
During the recent completed maintenance and expansion project in three of
the airports i inflated contracts amounted to (Thirty Five Million Eight
Hundred Thousand British Pounds) indicate as executed and the contract
fund is now ready for payment at our payment bank.
My coleague and i now decided to make business with you and release the
funds to you as the contractor of the project for safety keeping and
subsequent disbursement since non of us can claim the funds directly. We
don’t want our efforts and resources expended so far in this project to be
a waste.
We would file a letter of claim in your favour as the managing director of
the registered company name used for the project. Thereafter, the fund
will be release to you for both of us.
We agreed that (Thirty Percent) of the funds will be for you as foreign
partner, while the balance will be for me and my colleague. I will visit
you in your country for the disbursement of the funds according to the
percentages indicated above once the fund gets into your account.
If you are interested in this project contact me for further directives as
all necessary arrangement for the smooth release of the funds to you has
been workout perfectly.
I look forward to hear from you.
Thanks,
Mike Brown
Funny as it may seem, these schemes have seen people lose large sums of money.
We don’t answer to the world, so before we jump into anything we need to ask ourselves some questions. It’s a fact that these are tough times but as children of God we should look to Him for provision.
A few months ago in Kenya, there was a case of victims of a pyramid scheme where a man tricked people into investing large sums of money thinking their money would be doubled in a few months. Christians “sowed” their money into the scheme and were swindled of thousands of dollars, millions of shillings. How disappointing when their money disappeared! Many of them were advised by their pastors to invest and probably thought this was one method of sowing a small or not-so-small seed and reaping hundredfold. This happens many times all over the world.
Here are some verses on getting rich quick:
Proverbs 12:11 He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding.
Proverbs 13:11 Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.
Proverbs 14:15 The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.
Proverbs 19:2 Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth.
Proverbs 21:5 The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.
Proverbs 23:4 Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
Proverbs 28:19-20 He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough. A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.
Obviously the Bible condemns hurried amassing of wealth and promotes or encourages hard work. We need to get out of the idea that God is like a vending machine that we put money in and it coughs out what we desire. The get-rich-quick idea is digging its talons into contemporary Christianity in the name of sowing and reaping. Christians are supposed to live differently from the world, but how sad that we see this sow-and-reap mentality all over Christian culture. All you have to do is put on your television and surf to a Christian channel and you will be bombarded with messages about how God rewards the sower and rejects the one who does not put a certain amount of money. Yet wealth is not a standard for being a child of God and giving is encouraged but we can give more than just money. Jesus said, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37.) One woman pastor was heard begging women to forget their bills and give her their last bit of money or else she would go off the air. She assured them that God would double this money in a short time. I thought, “Maybe it would not be such a bad thing for her to go off the air because in any case, I have not heard the name of Jesus mentioned or the gospel preached in the past thirty minutes!”
Get-rich-quick schemes always sound logical and justifiable when you first listen to them. But when you put them side by side with the Word of God, you will see many discrepancies.
We need to change our money mindset and apply godly principles to how we look for money. Times are tough but God provides and it’s in tough times that we actually long to get closer to Him and find ourselves growing. Either way, sometimes during hard times it may seem like instant money is an answer from above so let’s talk about how to avoid get rich schemes.
- Phony schemes will always have a giveaway word. Things like, “Guaranteed profits,” “Very easy,” “No losses,” “A secret the big guns/government do not want you to know” and “No risk” are terms to look out for.
- They usually pressure you to make a decision quickly maybe so you do not consult people and change your mind. “Pay within the next 25 minutes and get an 80% discount!”
- Take your time. Remember that “if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.” Pray and think about it. Sometimes God communicates through lack of peace. Do you have peace about it?
- Stay away from schemes that require you to go into debt. Don’t borrow money from people or the bank or organizations that you are not 100% sure you will pay back.
- Get to know what you are dealing with. CBN.com states, “Seldom will anyone be duped into a get-rich-quick scheme in his or her area of expertise. The vast majority of people who make money do it in the field in which they have the most training and experience. Those who lose it usually do so in an area they know little about.”
- With God, we should trust 100%, but with people, it’s better to be a doubting Thomas. And we should NEVER trust in money because it grows wings and flies away. “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.” Psalm 118:9. “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1. Get rich quick pitchers can be false prophets speaking lies about a glorious financial future that is not real.
- Ask questions. Seek the advice of people experienced in the field you want to go into.
Ladies, let’s maintain a constant close walk with God. When we are used to His voice and are in close fellowship with Him and His children, we will know what is real and what is fake and He will protect us from things that waste our time and bring our plans to ruin. Safety is found in the shadow of God’s wings – take every opportunity to Him and let Him guide you as you go forth.
Have a happy August.
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