Weekly Thought – October 1, 2013
Fred’s financial wisdom and practice were well known. One of his life-long friends commented recently on his sage counsel to a group of Dallas businessmen: “Keep a year’s living expenses in savings and if possible live on half your income.” “We were all shocked when he said that because most of the people we knew lived right up to the hilt supporting a high profile life style. No one thought about reducing their standard of living to the one Fred and Mary Alice chose.”
“Money can be a tool or an idol” is one of Fred’s pithy sayings. To those who give in the support of BWF, BWFLI, and the Weekly Thought, we want you to know it is most certainly a tool for the furtherance of this ministry. Thank you.
Joy Through Financial Integrity
Those inundated by financial worries seldom exude a joyful attitude. Our value system is exemplified by our relationship to money. I laughingly told someone, “You never know a person until you count money with them.” It brought a smile, but I was dead serious. Scott Peck wrote about the underlying flaw in the American character – the failure to delay gratification. We see this throughout our culture, but none so clearly as in our use of money. Buying on time and using credit were unfortunate additions to our financial system.
We are so anxious for the fruit we pick it before it is ripe. Oswald Chambers defined lust as “I must have it now” and how true that is of our instant satisfaction society. (more…)