A 5 Step Equation To Grow Your Wealth

Last Sunday was my last sermon on Proverbs. I'll miss those sermons as they were always so relevant and practical. Digging up the right application was easy, it just jumped off the page at you. I'll close this sermon series by posting some thoughts from today's proverb. Chapter 21 has much to say about wealth. These are five simple truths which will enable anyone to have more tomorrow than they do today.

Wealth doesn't just happen, it is the result of planning ahead.

Winning the lottery is a poor strategy for growing wealthy. Proverbs 21:5 says, "Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity." Set income goals and work hard to achieve them. Create spending guidelines and are disciplined enough to stay within them. Today may not be easy, but tomorrow will be secure.

Shortcuts rarely get you where you want to go.

The only people who get rich from "get rich quick schemes" are the original schemers. There are no shortcuts to wealth. About those who try to take shortcuts, Proverbs 21:5 says, "everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty." Plan ahead, work hard and be patient.

Deceptive practices always come back to bite you.

It might be tempting to fudge a little or tell a "white lie" here and there in order to get ahead. Although massaging the truth might prove effective for a while, the longer one weaves a web of deceit, the worse they are when the truth comes out. Proverbs 21:6 says, "A fortune gained by deceit is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare." Honesty may set you back for a time, but in the end, it's the only way to stay ahead.

The pursuit of pleasure leads to poverty.

You've probably seen the stories of professional athletes who earn millions of dollars while they play then file for bankruptcy shortly after retirement. What happens to all that money? Proverbs 21:17 says, "He who loves pleasure will become a poor man." Self-control is the key to earning and retaining wealth. Learn to deny yourself immediate pleasure and you'll discover lasting contentment.

If you don't save for the future, you'll have nothing when you get there.

Our family socks away all our change. Every couple years, we pull out our change collection to help pay for vacation. We are always surprised at how much we have. Proverbs 21:20 says, "The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down." Establish the discipline of consistently saving as much as you can. You'll be shocked down the road at what you've "earned."