Here is the bottom line. Effective management is what will determine the amount of your resources. If you are a good
manager and you obey God’s principles, it will not matter what kind of crisis comes; you will be ready. You will be able to weather any crisis, even if some of the resources disappear. You will have a savings account to tide you over in case you lose your job. You will know how to consider carefully whether or not you can afford to spend money right now.
Sometimes we like to quote Proverbs 13:22, at least the first part of it. The first part reads, “A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children,” and we agree with that part easily.
Then we gloss over the second part of the proverb: “but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous,” because we’re not quite sure what to do with it.
Years ago, the Lord brought me up short. I was quoting that second line as if it was a good thing to say. The Lord spoke to me and said, “Don’t quote that line as if it’s a good thing. It is true that wicked sinners have your wealth, but that is not a good thing.” How did they get the wealth? God gave it to them. Why would He give it to them instead of to the righteous? Because they managed it better. He gives resources to those who manage well.
Even if they are sinners.
That money will not come to you as you stand there saying,
“Money, come!” It will not come to you by your binding or loosing anything. You may have been praying to no avail for ten years for additional monetary resources, and you still do not have a thing to show for it except sore knees. There sources do not come by prayer, even if the prayer is long and loud and sincere; the resources come through prayer in addition to good management of the resources you already have.
Start small and work up. Start by being honest, by not taking that insignificant little paper clip. Conserve. Stop and think. Do
not throw away that piece of paper. Write on the back of it. Turn off the lights when you leave the room. Tithe your income. File your taxes honestly. Do not live above your means.
Do not live above your means—make the most of what you have.
Economize—maximize the minimum and get the most out of the least. I was shocked when I studied economics in college and found out that when you reduce it to its simplest definition, eco-nomics means to maximize the minimum. You take a little and make the most of it. That is simple economics. A good manager is a good economist.
If you are an economist, a good manager, you will take one apple and plant a tree from the seeds; then, when it produces more apples, you will sell them and be able to grow more apples from more seeds. You will manage your resources so you can add value to your gift. God does not encourage waste.
If you are a mismanager, you will take your paycheck and cash it. Then on your way home, you will stop to buy something to eat.
You will notice a sign that says “Sale,” and you will stop to pur-chase some new shoes. You will put down some more money on a new suit. What did you just do? You did not manage at all. You consumed. You became a consumer. Your routine is to buy, buy, and buy some more. You say, “I can get whatever I want. I have the money.” Most of your paycheck was gone before your foot even touched the front step of your house.
The Proverbs are filled with good observations, such as, “…
the diligent man prizes his possessions” (Prov. 12:27). The good
manager values what he has already. How do you handle what you have in the rooms of your house, your money, your time, your relationships? Do you prize them? Managers prize the little things.
They pick up every crumb, as the disciples did after Jesus fed the 5,000 (see Mark 6:30-44). Why did Jesus tell them to collect all the scraps in baskets? I think it is because He was accountable to His Father in Heaven, and He had just used some of His Father’s fish and bread.
It can be a good idea to go through your closet and find cloth-ing that hasn’t been worn for a long time. Start wearcloth-ing it again, or give it away. Take care of what you have. Manage it well. Be prudent. Be resourceful.
Overcoming crisis depends on good management, which is the
same as godly stewardship.
Another proverb reads: “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty” (Prov. 21:5). This applies to people who ask for handouts. If you spend time with someone who wants a handout or something for nothing, you are in bad company. People like that are taking the easy way out, and all they will get for holding their hands out is more poverty. If you need money, you should not just ask for it. You should ask, “What can I do for you to earn some money?” Stop looking for a handout and start looking for a hand up. That is better management. It shows respect for the person you have offered to work for, and it shows self-respect too. It shows that you want to be diligent, to manage your efforts, and to manage your relationships.
You will find many more practical suggestions as you read the rest of this book. This is a primary principle of the King-dom: Overcoming crisis depends on good management, and good management is the same as godly stewardship. If you live by God’s principles, you will reap the increase. If you manage what He has already given you, He will be able to trust you with more.