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What Currency Do You Trade In?

Most people who live in the USA would naturally say dollars to this question but many of us actually have many forms of currency that we use to get along in life. Professional athletes trade their skills for positions on their teams and thus financial gain. Singers use their voices to apply their talents and thus earn stardom and monetary rewards. Still others are able to use their personality or good looks to advance careers thru perhaps sales or modeling. I often hear from my friends on the golf course that they are happy they have not had to make a living from their skills with a driver and a golf ball. In fact, I am happy that I do not have to make a living playing golf or my family would have had to support me!

The reason this is so vivid is the aftermath of the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme. What Mr.Madoff used as currency was clearly the most valuable asset that anyone can have in the investment world, namely TRUST! So many people thought they knew this man and their level of trust was so high that they exceeded good judgment by placing all their assets with his firm. Already there are three charities that are known to have closed their doors completely and their good intentions and outreach have been destroyed. Many individuals have started to pick up the pieces of their lives by being forced to sell their higher priced homes to move to more humble abodes. The shock waves have not yet touched all of the people that will be affected by this apparent fraud.

The reason this is so disconcerting is that anyone who invests with others, must always develop a level of trust. Often times this results in cultural issues as people from the same church, temple, or mosque feel they can trust someone from their same orientation. In fact, many advisors try to develop their businesses by offering services and donating their time to organizations that have like minded people. This is the very touchy subject that pastors, priests, and clergy shared with me during my recent research about faith based investing. How do you keep the fox out of the hen house? Many of them would rather be uninformed about investment strategies than run the risk they are bringing the wrong message from the wrong messenger.

The Bible teaches many ways to evaluate who to trust in these matters. One of the worst ways is to notice how people of wealth hang out with other people of wealth and thus give the appearance of importance. But the truth is you can tell more about how people treat the “least of their brethren” as to their intent and values. That’s right, in order to be judged worthy of importance, first see how they treat the poor, and also how they share with those in need!

Proverbs 13:6-7 (RSV) “Righteousness guards him whose way is upright, but sin overthrows the wicked. One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.”

Jay Peroni has informed me that he is offering his book “The Faith-Based Millionaire” to anyone wishing to download it from www.jayperoni.com thanks Jay!

Also, last weeks prayer that was attributed to Billy Graham is actually a prayer from Rev Joe Wright, Central Christian Church, Wichita KS. He excerpted it from Bob Russell who originally gave it at the KY Gov Prayer Breakfast, 1995 in Frankfort, KY

Monday Morning Message Sent 1/5/09


 

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