Proverbs 6...Financial Advice

(I read a chapter of Proverbs every morning that corresponds with the day of the month. Today is August 6, so this morning I read chapter six. Each day, as I read a Proverb, I am going to post a brief article on something that stands out to me in that particular chapter.)

The book of Proverbs is filled with financial advice. Seriously, read through the book and note every verse that says something about financial management and wisdom. It'll be a long list.

In the first half of Proverbs 6, Solomon gives us three bits of financial advice.

1. Don't cosign for a loan. "My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, have given your pledge for a stranger, if you are snared in the words of your mouth, caught in the words of your mouth, then do this my son, and save yourself, for you have come into the hand of your neighbor: go hasten, and plead urgently with your neighbor. Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber; save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler" (Prov. 6:1-5). Solomon is adamant about this, isn't he? Don't "put up security for your neighbor." The modern application of that would be, don't cosign for a loan. Think about it. If someone can't get a loan based on their lack of credentials, they probably don't need the loan. The wise man, inspired by God, is warning us that if we get involved in the debts of others, it's going to come back to bite us.
2. Be a hard worker. "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: so shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man" (6:6-11, KJV). We all know the story of the ant and the grasshopper. The ant works hard through the summer to store up food for the winter while the grasshopper plays and lays around. Clearly, we're to be more like the ant. God expects us to be hard workers. Another thing that I'd like to point out here is that the ant works hard even though it has no chief, officer or ruler. Somtimes, we work hard when the boss is looking over our shoulders, but then we slack off when he walks away. We're to work diligently even when the boss isn't around. Financial success is not going to come to those who are lazy, generally speaking.
3. Be honest. "A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech, winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his finger, with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord; therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in a moment he will be broken beyond healing" (6:12-15). Solomon is speaking generally here about those who are wicked, but in verse 12, he specifically addresses dishonesty and crookedness. In the business world, dishonesty might make a sale today and crookedness may get you ahead for a while, but generally speaking, you're going to fall flat in the end. Honesty really is the best policy, and of course, God demands it of us. Don't be the smooth-talking salesman that does whatever it takes to make a sale. Be honest. People will respect you for it and God will bless you because of it.

I'm not saying that if we're good Christians, God will make us rich. That's not Solomon's point either. But I do believe that those who follow the sound financial advise of the word of God and seek to live according to the will of God (which is for our own good), will be in a position to have their needs met, and possibly prosper.

Tomorrow, we'll look at something in Proverbs 7.