Ten Talents Financial Stewardship

It may seem tone deaf to talk of ‘Stepping into Financial Freedom’ during a Cost-of-Living crisis. Fuel prices, grocery prices and energy bills are through the roof. Completing this perfect storm is the biggest interest rate rise in 27 years and the prediction of an upcoming recession by the Bank of England.

If I asked my fellow believers, “How many of you would like to go to heaven when they die?” I am likely to be met with a very passionate, “Yeah!!”. If I then followed up that question with, “Who wants to go to heaven tomorrow?”, I suspect that I would receive a rather more muted response!

In the Garden of Eden, God said to Adam and Eve, ‘Be fruitful and multiply.’ Not long after, the first children Cain and Abel were born and babies have been born ever since.

The eagle-eyed amongst you may have noticed that my hiatus coincided with the birth of my second child and first daughter Amira.

Undeniably, my wife Tola has been the heroine of this particular story during our daughter’s first year in this world, however the whole experience so far has made me wonder, ‘How much does it cost to raise a child?’

If at this point, you are expressing mock outrage that I have the audacity to state that ‘It all belongs to God’, then you have not been paying attention for the last few months! In a Christian finance blog written by a Christian finance professional, there was only one way this was headed right! Originally, this was going to be the first commandment but I didn’t want to scare people away who might not share my faith. The fact you’re still here is good news and if you’re still sceptical, keep an open mind and hear me out.

Friends, please take a moment to celebrate the return of the Prodigal Son, Cristiano Ronaldo back home to the great institution that is Manchester United Football Club. Continuing the ham-fisted Bible analogies, it is my firm belief that he has come back to lead us to the Promised Land of former glories, following our extended period in the (relative) wilderness.

While I was at secondary school, I had the pleasure of studying Shakespeare’s famous play, The Merchant of Venice. Spoilers ahead if you haven’t read it but the summary is Bassanio, a poor nobleman in Venice, needs money to woo the beautiful heiress, Portia. He asks his friend Antonio for a loan, but Antonio has invested his funds in ships overseas. The moneylender, Shylock, offers the cash on the condition that he will take a pound of Antonio’s flesh (!) if the loan is not repaid within three months. Antonio goes bankrupt and is in very real danger of being mutilated in court until Portia steps in, disguised as a young male lawyer, to save the day.

Will Smith once said, ‘Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like’.

A profound quote but a very accurate assessment of the state of play in our social media obsessed generation. We live in a world where we have so many privileges and access to so much more than our generations before us, yet many are still discontent.

Hello Friend!

I am so happy that my email has reached you. I am the Crown Prince T’Challa, heir to throne of Wakanda. When my father King T’Chaka died, he left me an inheritance of over $100m. However, to receive these funds I need to pay $10,000 in legal and banking fees. As I am currently exiled from my country, I do not have access to the royal funds. If you were to help me by paying the legal and banking fees of $10,000, I will give you 50% of my royal inheritance.

Thank you in advance friend for helping me reclaim my rightful place on the throne.

T’Challa

Crown Prince of Zamunda

The River Jordan and the Dead Sea are two well known water sources in Israel. The River Jordan receives its water from four other rivers and then passes this water onto it’s final destination, the Dead Sea.

The River Jordan is considered by many to be a sacred river. It is a thriving river with 22 species of fish, it is mentioned almost 200 times in the Bible with many references to miracles and healing, and in Genesis 13:10 it is described as a source of fertility for the Garden of the LORD. Perhaps most significantly, Jesus Christ was baptised by John the Baptist in the River Jordan. The Dead Sea, on the other hand is nine times saltier than normal ocean water, therefore no underwater animals can survive in it. If the Dead Sea is devoid of life, then it could be argued that the River Jordan in contrast is a ‘River of Life.’