Be Prepared

Gary discusses current financial conditions and the need to be prepared for short-term and long-term “disruptions.”

Christians have time on their side. It may not always seem to be so, but it is. Time is under God’s sovereign control. He allots time to everyone, but He blesses those who conform themselves to His law. Long life and large families are both aspects of God’s blessings to the faithful. They are blessed because they use their capital in kingdom-oriented ways. Christians can look to their earthly futures in confidence, even as Abram did (before God renamed him Abraham). They know that they have the tool of dominion, God’s law. They know that God promises blessings to the faithful. They can rest in Christ’s work on the cross. The future belongs to them and their heirs. Their names will extend into the future.

Given this perspective, is it surprising that Christians should amass capital? Is it surprising that the Protestant Reformation of the 1500s led to the growth of capitalism in the next century? There is a Protestant ethic, and its view of time is fundamental to its success. Men who are confident concerning the future, in time and on earth, can plan for a very long run: centuries, if necessary. Their vision extends beyond their own graves. They see victory in terms of linear development over time. They can invest a bit of money today, even at a very low rate of return, and if God blesses its growth long enough, the law of compound interest takes over, leading to a long-run expansion of capital. It is revealing that charities established by Puritan businessmen in London in the late 1500s and early 1600s were still operating in 1900. The original capital base had been reinvested over the years, leading to an expansion of charitable activities. The growth in productivity—the basic rate of return—was sufficient to operate the charities and still expand their influence.

Men will not sacrifice for the future of a bureaucratic state with the same enthusiasm with which they will sacrifice present consumption for the sake of their families’ futures. The state is a pseudo-family, and men treat it as such. If the state confiscates family wealth at the time of death of the “founding father,” then the sons, not to mention the father himself, will have an incentive to spend the family fortune today, if only to keep the tax collector from getting the bulk of the estate. This drastically shortens men’s time perspective. The long run becomes no longer than the lifetime of the founder when the state confiscates the estate at his death. A bit of money invested today must make a high return if it is to grow to any considerable capital base in the lifetime of one man. Such a return is not that easy to achieve. Men turn to gambling to “make the big killing” when they recognize the improbability of building a capital base with today’s few assets, given the tight boundaries of a single lifetime.

Unconditional Surrender: God’s Program for Victory

Does the Bible teach anything specific about how to raise a family, run a country, or manage an economy? Moreover, if the Bible does have something to say, do we have to observe those commands, or are they mere suggestions or general principles? Despite widespread ignorance of the Bible’s teachings—both inside and outside of the church—the Bible has plenty to say about social, civil, and political affairs. And when men and women apply these teachings to their lives and the world around them, the world will change for the better.

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Gary discusses current financial conditions and the need to be prepared for short-term and long-term “disruptions.” We all saw what happened to store shelves during COVID, and this should serve as a lesson to be ready in advance. Not trying to be alarmist, but being ready is always better than not.

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American Vision’s mission is to Restore America to its Biblical Foundation—from Genesis to Revelation. American Vision (AV) has been at the heart of worldview study since 1978, providing resources to exhort Christian families and individuals to live by a Biblically based worldview. Visit www.AmericanVision.org for more information, content and resources