The development of the free market sparked the creation of many new products and services by releasing people to take initiative and be creative. As the main currency of this new and bold economy became stocks and bonds of the companies that produced and marketed these products, the stock and bond markets became the depository for most of the wealth of the entire developing world. 

        As these markets could be accessed by virtually everyone in “the free world,” a large percentage of the population took advantage of this and started to invest in them. Business news became an increasing focus of the news, and the economy became a primary factor in politics, eclipsing all other issues. We had entered the “Economic Age.” 

        Biblical prophecy foretells of this period and that it would be a time when the heart of everyone on earth would be revealed. Money, and how we handle it, has a way of revealing what our priorities really are and, therefore, who we really are. Money can be the ultimate idol that we put our trust in instead of God. The test is whether we will rule over it, or whether it will rule over us. 

        It has been estimated that one-third to one-half of the teachings in Scripture on righteousness have to do with stewardship. As Jesus taught in the Parable of the Talents, the servants who managed well what He entrusted to them were “good and faithful,” while those who did not were “wicked and evil.” The devotion we have to steward what He entrusts to us reflects the devotion we have for Him, and righteousness will be reflected in good stewardship.

        Scripture also makes an important distinction between wealth and riches. Riches tend to come fast and easy, and depart fast and easily, but wealth is the result of hard work, endurance, wisdom, and faithfulness. Wealth tends to endure, even for generations, proving the saying:, “Those who do not have the experience of making wealth will not have the wisdom to keep it.” 

        Those who make fast money in the stock market tend to lose it fast too. Those who built great and enduring fortunes were mostly those who built great companies. As Scripture confirms, the great fortunes built with hard work, wisdom, and endurance have remained for generations. 

        As we study the economic history of America, we can see a tug-of-war between those who seek quick riches and those building enduring wealth. Both of these groups can impact the markets and the economy: the first for volatility and the latter for stability. 

        Unfortunately, the political system that evolved to choose who ran for office became increasingly weighted toward those who promised cheap, easy, and fast solutions. However, it seemed to always turn out to be none of these. Instead of electing experienced and competent leaders, we started electing professional politicians whose highest priority was usually to stay in office, rather than do what was best for the country. 

        Politicians can be much better at campaigning and promoting themselves than actually managing and leading. The Scriptures warn us about those who promote themselves. The leaders that God called in Scripture were never self-promoting or seeking positions for themselves, instead they were busy doing their jobs. Whether it was shepherding sheep, farming, or fishing, they were being good stewards.

        Those who are arrogant enough to promote themselves will be arrogant enough to presume that they understand things they may actually not understand much at all, such as the economy. When they get in office, they will be prone to pass laws and regulations that are often counter to what is needed. Such burdensome and unnecessary laws and regulations are a huge and increasing extra burden on the economy. Yet our free market is so strong and resilient that it has been able to carry this burden to date and keep going. 

        Added to the burden of the entangling and useless regulations imposed on it, the American economy picks up the extra weight each year of the massive and increasingly inefficient federal government, with its growing debt. It is a marvel to many who really understand economics that our whole economy does not implode, but thankfully, to date it has not. However, we are inevitably getting closer to the point when it can no longer go on. Fixing this after it has collapsed will be far more difficult than fixing it before a collapse.

         How well could the free market do if it was freed of the increasing and unnecessary burdens that have been heaped on it? It could easily feed, clothe, and house the population of the world very well, and do it without making them slaves to government dependence. We have the resources to do this now, but they are being consumed and wasted by government incompetence, as well as the time being consumed by red tape and paperwork to ensure compliance with meaningless regulations and laws.

        There are always some who will need charity to survive, and it is one of the great biblical virtues to help the needy. This is an honor and an opportunity. The Lord said that how we treat even the least of His people He takes it as the way that we treat Him. The benefits He promises for those who help the poor, the needy, and the oppressed makes charity one of the best investments we can make with our time and resources. 

        This being understood, when charity is institutionalized it is dehumanizing. This leads to psychological bondage, as well as spiritual and moral poverty. We can be thankful for a government that wants to help the needy, and for the many people working in it that may be sincere in this, but the government is not capable of doing this well. If we really care about the needy, we will do the best that we can for them, which will require getting the government out of this business.

        With the exception of a few things that The Constitution actually gave the federal government to do, it does everything else very poorly. This is why the biblical exhortations to take care of the poor and needy was given to the people, not to government. Charity is meant to be personal, done by caring people, not bureaucracies. 

        There are few things more satisfying and edifying to the human soul than helping others. To do this is essential for a healthy soul. Those who should be helping the needy are deprived of this when the government takes it over. 

         To paraphrase C.S. Lewis, “If we are on the wrong road it will never turn into the right road.” To get back on the right road, we must go back to where we missed the turn. We got on a wrong road by turning charity over to the government, and the problems will keep getting worse if we do not go back to where we made the wrong turn. 

         This is not in the political interest of many who got into office and stay in office, because they are dependent on the votes of those who are dependent on government. These are thieves who are robbing the American people and the needy for their own political benefit. In a republic, they work for us. How long are we going to be poor stewards of what has been entrusted to us by tolerating such poor stewards to run our government?

        The time is always right to do what is right.  —Martin Luther King, Jr.

        The difficult we do immediately; the impossible may take a little longer. —Motto of the U.S. Navy Construction Battalion 

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© 2020 by Rick Joyner. All rights reserved.