Morning Musings-What Good Men Do

     Morning Musings with the boys at breakfast...



Today we'll read a bit from Proverbs.  Proverbs 12:2,11 and 14:23.

Be "good men".  Proverbs 12:2 says you'll "obtain favor from the Lord".  To be good with money, practice self control.  Learn to spend wisely and get the most out of every dollar.  (Try to make a dollar out of  .15 cents).  

For instance, don't just grab the first model of what you wish to buy.  Check it out at various places, get the general cost of the various ranges of potential item you wish to purchase. This requires self-control and patience to find that 'perfect buy'.  Going hither, thither and yon, searching, could take a day, several days, weeks or months but it will have been time and energy well spent, and in the end, satisfaction.

Let money be your servant not your master.  Good men will do good to others.  Use your money to help others but be wise; are the people being truly helped or being taught to look for handouts that they could have worked for, for themselves?  If a person has the ability and opportunity he/she should earn his/her own income. He who has the capacity to work but does not, should not eat.  (2 Thessalonians 3:10)

A good man will have a generous heart and help those truly in need.  However, beware you yourself don't overspend.  Ask the good questions:  why?  where?  for what?  to whom?  how?; guidelines in the "how much".

Beware of being a false generous; that is, spending on others to gain friends.  Yes, it gives pleasure to oneself to see others happy but don't be a man-pleaser, be a God-pleaser and definitely ask HIM how to spend with discretion.  Don't spend to feed your ego, to show off, "Look here, I've got $$"...when the $$ is gone so will those so-called friends that you 'bought'.  (Think of the prodigal son in Luke 15).


Part of being a 'good man' is working for your $$ in honest ways.  God "condemns a crafty man."  "Dishonest money dwindles away.  Gather it little by little and it will grow."  (Prov 13:11). "Work the land" so to speak, "you'll have abundant food". (Prov 12:11)  Know that "all hard work brings a profit".  (Prov. 14:23)

The results will be that you will have earned all you can by honest means so that you can save all you can to spend all you can for the good and benefit of others as much as ever you can and so be a 'good man'.  (Paraphrase of John Wesley, I believe that is.)


                                                                 ~ERC  2016~