Article # 23 Resources- Treasure
One of my professors in college made a profound statement: There are only two kinds of people – spenders and savers. Become a reluctant borrower and a consistent saver because the former always dominates the later. Those patterns of spending and saving are habit forming. Savers over time continue to save, spenders consistently incur debt. In today’s treasure topic article, we will introduce some bedrock principles which have worked for more than 200 years under the leadership of the United States capitalistic system.
Savers create surplus to be deployed in meaningful ways to produce treasure. Spenders perpetually mount up debt until the lenders stop lending and then reverse course, requiring a new repayment schedule. The borrower is now a slave to the lenders. Getting free often requires difficult fundamental changes. Spenders ultimately are forced to become savers to regain their freedom. Sowing the wind creates a whirlwind both as savers and as spenders. Savers become increasingly healthy, whereas spenders gradually degrade into dis-ease.
The future is uncertain. Borrowing obligates the future bringing with it increasing instability. Author and presenter Brene Brown has her finger right on the pulse of our current culture when she says, ” My research reveals that Americans are the most in debt, obese, addicted, and medicated adult cohort in history. I have a hunch that the underlying culprit for all of these behaviors is resident in one malady.”
Todays message is the antidote to the in-debt factor mentioned above. We can do a fantastic job of managing this treasure aspect of resources and still be unhealthy. Why? Because this is only the microcosm occurring at the individual and family level. There is something much larger going on and we all feel it. It is part of the national sickness which needs to be addressed moving us all toward a cure.
I opened my system today for my typical review of the world. BIG BOLD TYPE revealed for all to see: National Debt Ceiling to be reached by June 1, 2023. The policy debate about the United States borrowing capability is now once again front and center. The U.S. either needs to reduce spending or change public policy to raise the debt ceiling, or eliminate it altogether, allowing the nation to continue to pay it’s bills using tax receipts and another round of more borrowing. My professor’s statement some 40 years ago is also true of nation states. At a very core subliminal level, citizens feel the effects of gradually losing our freedom. And because of the systems in place, we feel powerless against the larger forces at work.
PAUSE FOR EFFECT
Drink in right now what you are feeling. Process it well. Do some writing and journaling. Like Brene Brown we believe we have found a treatment for the current behavior malady affecting every citizen. Is the solution writing to elected representatives? Is it acts of public disapproval of public policy decisions? No, think bigger. Is it possible the solution to our collective angst about this Soul Roadmap rest area of resources is spiritual? I am reminded of a story from some 3,000 years ago. A servant woke up looking out over the wall of the city to find it surrounded by an Army and besieged. He ran to the leader to alert him of the coming disaster. The leader gently asked the servant to look again with different, spiritual eyes. He then saw an even bigger Army surrounding the Aramean Army. This story is also referenced in another one from 2200 years ago when the Apostle John said, “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world”. He was referring to God above who now lives within us being greater than the adversary of our souls who influences the current world in which we live. Looking with spiritual eyes might in fact reveal a much larger Army, even larger than the 31 trillion national debt.
SOME PRESCRIPTIVE WISDOM – seeing the bigger army-
It is possible to create a national fund which takes all existing debts from the last 75 years of deficit spending and put our country back on a saving track instead of a freedom-stealing spending one. It would take statesmanship, leadership, courage and integrity to manage through this transition. Lord Lord let us all look with spiritual eyes for this kind of Army to win this fight for our individual and national freedom and our sovereignty. At the same time, what we do as individuals and families can bring us freedom AND reinforce – and perhaps spur on- what needs to happen on a national level. Don’t be bound by despair. He that is within us IS greater than he who is in this world. Think about WHO LEADS THIS POLICY DECISION?