Power to Protect and Defend

There are many things to consider when giving. I will discuss those later. At this time I would like to discuss advantages of seeking after worldly wealth. That is the power to protect and defend. This is my single greatest motivation for gaining wealth. Money can give you the power and influence you may someday need in order to protect your family and or others.

I met a family in a small town in Colorado called La Poudre. This family was a hard working honest family with a modest home that matched their modest living. When their oldest child got married and had two children, they felt very blessed. These new grandparents were able to spend a lot of time with their grandchildren because they lived close to them. The other grandparents lived in Texas, so their grand children grew and became very close to their grandparents in Colorado.

Then one day the unthinkable happened. Their son in-law murdered their daughter. It wasn’t one of those things where they just accused their son in-law, or that there was suspicion that he did it. He was in jail and guilty.

In the small amount of time between their daughter’s death and their son in-law’s arrest, he took their grandchildren to Texas. After the son in-law’s arrest the grand children were left in the custody of the Texan grandparents. Not that the Texan grandparents are bad, but the grandchildren had been cared for and nurtured by their grandparents from Colorado. Now they were in a strange place, with people they barely knew, and with the parents of the man that violently killed their mother. They lost their parents and were taken away from the two closest family members they knew.

Obviously the people these children should be with are the grandparents from Colorado. But the grandparents from Texas decided differently, and because the children were already in Texas, the custody battle occurred in Texas. This family didn’t make a lot of money as is, now in order to even have the chance of caring for their grandchildren they had to travel to Texas multiple times, and pay for a lawyer to represent them. It was a nasty custody battle that took months, put them $10,000’s in debt, and in the end they lost. I suspect probably because the Texan grandparents had more money and could afford better lawyers.

This is just one example of the power money can buy. When it comes to my family, if they are wrongfully accused, or flagrantly sued, I want to have the money I need to protect them.

Religious Leaders

If a person of faith should give away all that they own, or at least the excess, then why are so many believers and religious leaders very well off? If you’re a Catholic, why is the Pope decorated in so many jewels? Shouldn’t they be sold and the proceeds given to the needy? If you’re LDS (Mormon) then why are so many of the recent and past leaders of the church so well off? Many of them have been very successful in businesses. Some have had world renowned private practices. Why didn’t they practice for free in third world nations? If you’re of another Christian faith, then think about your pastor or preacher. What kind of car does he drive? What is his house like? Does he live as meekly as he could, or should? What about the large church organizations of the world. Many of them have very high net worth. Why don’t those churches sell their real estate, or cash out their investment accounts and give it to the poor?

If we are honest with ourselves, I’m sure that everyone, including religious leaders, would be able to spend a bit more, and give a bit less. I’m not asking you to pass judgment, and I’m definitely not passing judgment myself. However, if you do feel that your religious leader is not using your contributions responsibly then maybe you should consider finding a new congregation. I once met a preacher who’s congregation had just bought him a brand new Corvette. If nothing else, something like that should raise questions. The choice of a congregation is a decision only you can make with the guidance of the Lord. I am simply asking you to think about these questions, because if you think about them you will find the answers to our other questions.