Proverbs 11:15-17 

¹⁵ Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer, but whoever refuses to shake hands in pledge is safe. ¹⁶ A kindhearted woman gains honor, but ruthless men gain only wealth. ¹⁷ Those who are kind benefit themselves, but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.

Financial Help

         Have you ever tried to borrow money from someone else? How did it go?

Many years ago, someone tried to borrow money from people he assumed to be generous but nobody trusted that he can pay back his debt. After several years later, the person who tried to borrow money had progressed eventually.

Remembering his awful feeling when no one wanted to lend him money, he readily gave to those who borrowed money. Some borrowers paid back their debts but not all borrowers keep their promise to pay their debts. That is when he realized why people did not grant him loan with no collaterals. Maybe, they’ve got several experiences when borrowers cannot pay their debts. Truly, it is wise to be cautious and not emotionally affected when someone asks for financial help.

         But, let’s reflect on what Christ teaches in Matthew 5:42,⁴²Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

         How did you respond when someone tried to borrow money from you? Did you readily give? This command to give and not turn away borrowers requires godly effort. It is a waste of resources to give randomly to anyone. Giving should be intentional display of generosity, not pretension. What is intentional giving?

Pray for godly wisdom to use your resources to connect people to God. Be prayerful that the Holy Spirit inspires you to help others. When God is at work in us, we sense joyful peace to be generous. God loves cheerful givers, right? Pray to be inspired by his Holy Spirit. So, until you sense joyful peace, refuse.

1.  Refuse

¹⁵ Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer, but whoever refuses to shake hands in pledge is safe.

Interestingly, the term “refuse” is properly translated as “hate”; it is more intense. If you hate to give security or pledge for a stranger, it’s smart decision not to give. In contrast, to guarantee a pledge for a stranger is foolishness. Why? The possible result of putting up guaranty or pledge for a stranger, is suffering.

The term “suffer” is literally translated as evil or bad. To pledge guaranty for a stranger is evil and bad; it is not favorable. In contrast, to avoid and refuse pledge for a stranger keeps you safe. It is far better to be safe than sorry. Right?

The term “stranger” can be translated as “somebody else or outsider.” What does it imply? Avoid at all times to pledge guaranty for anyone you cannot completely trust. Do not give a pledge to anyone else you don’t wish to sacrifice for; it’s a smart decision. Reflect before putting up security, guaranty or pledge.

Will I cheerfully accept the outcome, if everything else fails? Will I accept it gladly and be comfortable with it, if results are different from my expectations? How do you interpret what it declares in Matthew 5:10? ¹⁰Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

         When borrowers do not return what they borrowed, it is like persecution.

         Will God bless you to guarantee pledge for a stranger? Pray for guidance. If you refuse to guarantee a pledge for a stranger, you avoided a result to suffer. How does giving pledge or guaranty for a stranger cause unpleasant suffering?

Investment

One of the many “click baits” of scammers is investment opportunity. They promise quick revenue for your investment. As guarantee that you are interested in their investment offer, they require you to sign up or give your email address, telephone number, credit cards or even bank accounts. Then your information will be available to other scammers to use. This rampant online crime practically exemplifies that to put up security for a stranger will surely suffer.

Before investing your savings, pray for wisdom and clear guidance from the Lord. And also, seriously consider what it declares in 1 Timothy 6:10, ¹⁰For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

         Most victims of scammers are eager to make more money; so, they grieve.

It is smart decision to pray for wisdom before investing your hard earned money. To guarantee or pledge for a stranger has evil and bad outcome. To gain much wealth, traders are ruthless and shrewd in their transaction. In comparison, kindness is beneficial investment that may gain respect and honor.

2.  Respect

¹⁶ A kindhearted woman gains honor, but ruthless men gain only wealth.
¹⁷ Those who are kind benefit themselves, but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.

         Generous kindness gains respect and honor and favorably beneficial. The term “kindhearted”is literally interpreted as practice of grace and favor as compared to ruthless transaction just to increase business profits. Employers who are kind and care for welfare of their employees are biblically smart. Pray for your employers to be biblically smart, and you will benefit for sure.

         Together, let’s seriously reflect on 2 Corinthians 9:10-11, ¹⁰ Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. ¹¹ You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

         If we pray for prosperity, everyone will say “Amen,” even non-Christians. Can you accept that God blesses us to be enriched in every way? Will the Lord bless us and be prosperous if we invest our savings? What does the Scripture say? If God allows us to be prosperous, he must have good purpose right? God want us to be generous on every occasion and not just to have luxurious lifestyle!

The ordinary mindset is to work hard, earn much money to spend for luxurious lifestyle similar to many social media uploads that others experienced. How about us? How do we view life on earth? What is our mission purpose in life? Why do we want to prosper? Why do we want to spend long life on earth?

Watch out!

         Let’s reflect on what Christ teaches in Luke 12:15-21, ¹⁵“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” ¹⁶ And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. ¹⁷ He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do?

I have no place to store my crops.’ ¹⁸ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. ¹⁹ And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ ²⁰ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ ²¹ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

         Ordinary mindset would think that way. They wish that they could save much money that they can enjoy while waiting for their death. Christ Jesus our Lord declares that life does not consist in an abundance of possessions. Life is not measured by material wealth. So, rich people cannot be satisfied with wealth.

But, how should we view life as believer? How should we appreciate life?

You have proven it. You have bought nice car but you still want a better car. You have eaten delicious food, but you still crave other food. Everything on earth offers temporary satisfaction. Have you internalized that already?

         You may find temporary contentment on earth but not forever, why?

Eternal satisfaction is reserve in heaven. Anyway, does God want us to be rich so that we can enjoy our retirement days? There will always be yearning of heart until we are actively performing our God-given mission purpose.

Until we are actively participating in the mission purpose that God designs for us, there’s emptiness and discontentment. But once we accomplished the mission purposes that God designed for us, it is when we sense fulfillment in life.

Discover your mission purposes that God designs specifically for you.

Whether we become prosperous or have enough money to live by, God wants us to appreciate his grace so that we can have practical proof to tell others. Then we can declare like King David said in Psalm 71:18-19, ¹⁸ Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come. ¹⁹ Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens, you who have done great things. Who is like you, God?

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         Life as believers of Christ should consist a testimony of his mighty work.