Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb19940206.htm

ALL THE MONEY WE NEED: BELIEVERS AND FINANCES
Part III: Using Our Money To Improve and Not Hurt Relationships
  1. Introduction
    1. It is one thing to obtain all of the money we need. It is quite another thing to sustain good and fulfilling relationships with others once we get the money we need. Many a relationship has gone sour over struggles to control an inhe ritance or dealing with imbalances in income levels among people.
    2. Solomon understood what it was like to have moderate income, and what it was like to have alot of it, and he offers divine insight on handling money and relationships TOGETHER well:
  2. Using Our Money To Improve and Not Hurt Relationships
    1. Solomon, God's wisest human servant aside from Jesus Christ (1 Kings 3:5,11-12) wrote Proverbs with his invaluable wisdom for our benefit, Proverbs 1:1-6.
    2. We can organize this input to see how we can relate income to good relationships as follows:
      1. The starting point of all skill in living, and for relating one's income to improving and not harming his relationships, is for that person to respect the Lord deeply, Prov. 1:7.
      2. Starting here, Solomon has additional suggestions that grow out of this respect for God (as follows):
        1. To protect relationships in handling money, one must be wise in making business dealings: (a) He must be upright and blameless in dealings as this produces longevity in a location where one works and lives, 2:21; 13:21,25; 15:6. (b) He must close only those business transactions where no trouble is present as God's blessing come only with no trouble attached to them, Prov. 10:22; 16:11. (c) He needs to prefer getting less money with greater rapport with others than making more at the cost of relationship turmoil, Prov. 16:8. (d) He must be fair in business dealings as God will bless him in accord with fair play, 11:1. (e) One must heed the discipline of an overseer as this will preserve him from poverty, 13:18. (f) He should avoid taking bribes as this will protect his family, Prov. 15:27; 22:16. (g) He must avoid personal greed in dealings as greed foments bad relationships and hurts one's business dealings in the long run, Prov. 11:26; 28:25. (h) He must avoid dealing with stingy people as such dealings will be unproductive, 23:6-8. (i) One must not himself be stingy or this will hurt relationships in dealings, Prov. 11:24-25. (j) One is better facing his waywardness and openly repenting than hiding his errors if he wants to find mercy in the marketplace, Prov. 28:13. (k) Dishonesty must be avoided as this brings divine wrath, Prov. 20:10. (l) One must be slow in acquiring an inheritance to protect relations in the family, 21:5. (m) One must work hard at establishing a good reputation over gaining money in dealings as the former produces more lasting income than the latter if given a choice, Prov. 22:1. (n) If one lends, he must keep his interest rates low to avoid being abandoned by others when he is himself in financial distress, Prov. 28:8.
        2. To protect relationships in handling money, one must use his acquired wealth wisely: (a) He must not advertise his wealth if he wants to stop abusive clutching from the greedy,13:7-8.(b) Yet since having money opens relationship doors, give of your accumulated wealth privately to secure open doors of relationships, Prov. 14:20; 19:4,7.
        3. To protect relationships in handling money, one must donate acquired wealth wisely as follows: (a) God blesses one who gives generously to the poor, 28:27; 23:10-11. Give to them liberally. (b) When giving, give enough to refresh the recipient to help relationships, Prov. 11:24-25. (c) However, some people are leeches who can never get enough; limit your giving to them, 30:15. (d) If fools are given too much, the gift hurts him; so give only what he can handle, 17:16; 30:21f. (e) Overlooking the poor when one has wealth will lead to his being overlooked himself in his time of need. Do not overlook the poor in donating possessions, Prov. 22:9,16; 29:14!