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The distinction that has made our experiment in a self-governing
economy so enviable around the world and in other societies is the
exceptionalism that has granted us freedom and independence to take
the risks necessary to propel our personal fortunes far beyond what
would be granted by even the most benevolent dictator. With our
efforts to carve out our fortunes, whether large or small, we must
maneuver ourselves through a maze of roadblocks and hazards that
threaten to bankrupt our purpose before the rewards can be realized.
When we invest in hard work, strong effort, frugal living,
consistent and forward movement toward our goals, we sometimes reach
the golden ring with the fruits of our efforts. The process presents
us with a choice we must make.
Regardless of our own ethnocentric heritage, the concepts and
practices of gaining economic means have been around for centuries,
even before our own forefathers. What our forefathers likely knew,
however, was the writings of the Scriptures that, among many other
things, serve also as a history of thought from which they learned,
and from which we, too, can continue to learn. A very wise
king of
Israel, King Solomon, penned a series of life principles he learned
through observation from his vantage point as king, and of course,
from his God, Who supplied him with much wisdom. The principles of
living that he penned are as relevant today as they were when he
wrote them. In the book that is called Proverbs, Solomon writes: "Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness
delivers from mortal danger." — Proverbs 10:2
People gain wealth in many ways. Some are wealthy because family
members before them worked hard or invented things that made them
wealthy; some may not work very hard, but instead try to gain wealth
in ways that are less than honest. In this historical nugget we see
the word "wickedness," and we can say instead, "dishonesty." When we
acquire anything dishonestly, there will be consequences. Think of
it: Our laws are based on a right way of earning and a wrong way of
earning. A principle that Solomon learned by observation thousands
of years ago remains just as true today as it was then. A person
who gains treasure by dishonesty does not bring profit.
Profit is reserved in the long term by gaining it righteously; a
term that could be termed "honesty." If a person has all the money
or wealth in the world, it does not shield him from being unhappy,
experiencing mental illness, being sick, being lonely and even
dying. But when the treasure is gained through honest means, it
protects the individual from mortal danger.
Mortal danger could mean much more than simply dying. It means
losing freedom, being taken from society and isolated in a prison
for many years without the pleasure of experiencing life as a family
member, community member, participant in commerce, worship with
others, experiencing travel and being deprived from relationships.
Ultimately, of course, death may occur, but being ruined of
reputation and scorned to isolation is a mortal danger that is
experienced by those who fail to live by following the rules of
honesty.
Solomon continued with his writing to provide us with this bit of
history: "The Lord satisfies the appetite of the righteous, but he
thwarts the craving of the wicked." — Proverbs 10:3
Something beyond our simple ingenuity is at play here. It is the
universal principle of doing what is right and what is satisfying.
Regardless of personal belief in a Creator God or a belief of an
atheist who proposes there is no God, when a person does a job,
earns a living, works diligently and lives a wholesome life, there
is a higher degree of satisfaction and personal dignity in living in
the right way than a person who continues to cut corners, lives with
a thumb on the scale, cheats others and slips by on the
underside of the spirit of the law. That person always sees the
shadow behind him and always looks over his shoulder, fearing he is
going to be caught. The righteous have appetites for doing things
the right way, helping others and living by the rules, and that appetite
is satisfied by doing right.
By contrast, the craving, or desire, to gain at the expense of
others, bringing them harm through loss by the wicked person's
methods, is blocked and left unfulfilled. The person suffers loss,
shame and eventually the sting of guilt when caught. We often see
people who are "sorry" for the methods they have used to separate
innocent people from their money, but most often, they are sorry for
being caught, not for what they did. Theirs is a life of
unwholesomeness that brings guilt and shame, and of course, a
lack of enjoyment of the riches they have gained through such
methods.
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Most people over 30 years of age have learned the adage, "Work
is a virtue." In our society today, we have turned to a point in the
road where many have learned a word "entitlement" as being almost a
"right." Although there are many legitimate needs in the
governmental entitlement programs, there exists another group of
people who take advantage of those programs and use the assistance
to refrain from the necessity of work. Government has grown to such
proportions that it has taken over many of the charitable functions
that used to be provided by the generosity of faith-based
organizations, family and friends. Consequently, many look toward
the government to provide them with resources that others in need
could actually use instead. This has created a lot of wasted
resources for people who are receiving the entitlement dishonestly.
The historical account from Solomon speaks to our society today.
"The one who is lazy becomes poor, but the one who works diligently
becomes wealthy." — Proverbs 10:4 When one's work is the work of
getting out of work, it is counted to him as being lazy. When a
person can work and decides to take advantage of a system of
entitlement to avoid having to work with his hands and mind, he
becomes a cheater against those for whom the entitlement is meant. Without even realizing it, the "slacker" who thinks he is
outsmarting the officials who administer the entitlements is only
accomplishing one thing for himself: the distinction of becoming
poor and remaining poor. The only thing that person has gained for
himself is the distinction of being in poverty. His sleight-of-hand
schemes of cheating the officials have only sentenced him to a
lifetime of poverty. That poverty is not just the poverty-level of
sustenance the entitlement offers, but the loss of opportunity for a
better life, loss of the challenge of seizing the American dream,
loss of his own motivation, loss of dignity and self-worth, and most
of all, loss of being a positive, righteous role-model for the rest
of his family. Again, the historical account that Solomon gives us in today's
society is the contrast to the poverty-stricken slacker who cheats
the government for a small sustenance of entitlement. It is the
diligent worker who uses his entire resources of mind, body and
spirit to find work, be consistent in that work, achieve excellence
by bringing his best to his work, and achieves the consequences of
consistent salary and resources for himself and his family. Richness
may not be the accumulation of wealth in the sense that our culture
pants after affluence and privilege, but riches that bring
self-fulfillment and self-worth. A person who is a diligent worker,
doing the very best job he or she can, taking the responsibility for
family, and fulfilling the role of good citizenship, becomes rich in
dignity and worth. Finally, the wisdom of the writer Solomon and his observations
thousands of years ago bring a freshness to the ills of our society
related to economy and personal responsibility. He writes: "The one
who gathers crops in the summer is a wise son, but the one who
sleeps during the harvest is a son who brings shame to himself." —
Proverbs 10:5 Wisdom is more than simply knowing a set of facts. Wisdom is using
those facts to synthesize experiences and knowledge into a
lifestyle and worldview that is proactive, meaningful, balanced and
productive for future provisions. Using time wisely, establishing
meaningful goals of life, creating an active, consistent life of
completing career goals while the strength is still present, is
wisdom in action.
If one fritters away the time in the "summer" of life and accepts
the dole of the government to maintain a level of poverty, he or she
assumes the position of one who sleeps during the most important time
of life. This brings dullness to the senses and lulls the
individual into a state of laziness that robs him or her of seeing
the importance of the needs of the times. As in the fable of the ant
and the grasshopper, the winter of life soon appears, and the lazy
one will likely suffer, while the wise one will likely prosper.
[By JIM KILLEBREW]
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