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Coping with Life 8 – Financial Security 3
Coping with Life 8 – Financial Security 3
By Mike Willis
The proverbs are rich in practical wisdom, written in a time of rural life. Yet, these proverbs continue to have application for modern life. Here is another proverb relative to managing one’s finances: “Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox” (Prov. 14:4). If you have never been exposed to farming, you may miss the point.
A poor farmer may use a small push plough to manage his small garden to grow his crops to feed his family. If that is all he wants, he does not need to feed a large, hungry ox (horse or mule), clean up the manure of the ox, or care for it in any other way. His push plow will serve his needs. He will not need a manger in the field or barn to feed his ox or mule; and, if he had a manger, it would always be clean. However, there is a downside for this farmer. He can only farm a very small garden with his push plow. He will also have a very small harvest. If one wants larger harvests, he must invest in, feed, and care for the larger animal, the ox, horse, or mule. If he chooses to buy oxen and a ox drawn plow, he can grow more “abundant crops.”
In the same way, a modern farmer may try to farm using a small Ford tractor, pulling a two bottom plow. He will be able to manage a 1-4 acre farm. If a person wants a large harvest, he will need to buy a multiple furrow plow and have a large enough tractor to pull it. He will not be able to hand pick the corn; he will need a combine, with the size depending on the acres being farmed. The point is that there is a time and place for investing in expanding his business!
The lesson for financial security is this: MAKE JUDICIOUS INVESTMENTS TO EXPAND YOUR BUSINESS!Some business begin small and stay small. Others try to expand too rapidly and go into bankruptcy. Be wise!
