Proverbs 13:7-8
What we do with our wealth says volumes
about who we are and what we believe. If there is one thing the housing bubble
of 2007 taught me it is this: people live way beyond their means! So many
people are pretending to be richer than they really are. They consistently
purchase homes larger than they need. And they do it to put on a public face
that says, “I have made it!”
I have purposed to try to live within my
means. I want to meet a goal of retiring with no debt, including owning my
house outright. But this is not my biggest goal. I want live in a house that
matches my wealth, limited and modest. I want a house that meets my needs, not
necessarily my wants. I don’t want to pretend to be wealthier than I am.
The reason we want to do this is simple: we
don’t want our wealth to have a hold on us. We don’t want to be ransomed by our
monthly payments. We don’t want our bills to have a chokehold on our life.
Verse eight talks about riches becoming the
object of a ransom threat. If we don’t have anything, then people won’t try to
use our wealth to extract something from us. Their power over us is reduced. If
we are poor, we have nothing that holds them.
This does put us in a vulnerable state. We
must trust the LORD. We don’t have great reserves. We haven’t amassed great
quantities of investments that can be sold off when needs arise. When we want
to do something extra we will need to plan and save. We will have to be
purposeful in what we do. There will be no pretending allowed. We will be
forced to live within our means.
Do you feel the pressure of the bills? If
you do, perhaps you are living beyond your means.