Using Money ...

Monday, August 8, 2011. The financial markets have been betting against Greece, now they are betting against Italy. They started to bet against France today. The leading indices at the stock market lost 5 percent today, there is a storm sweeping around the globe!

Financial Markets in Storm …

Can we understand the whole system? It is all about borrowing money and giving money. Most of us who want to make an investment, need money to carry out the task. We borrow money to build a house - and then live in it and pay the money back step by step. But there is some risk involved, of course! Many companies collect money to carry out their tasks - this leads to the system of stocks and shares.

There is also the other side. Life insurances need to store money for the case where it is needed. Retirement funds need to put the money somewhere and work with it. That is, of course, risky. Who ever has some money wants to let it work for him and invest it wisely. But that includes risk. Over the years there were efforts to manage the risk. The whole business of rating agencies is a part of this risk management. Today we see, that this system does not work! Instead of creating a stable system, we have created one which is strongly unstable.

Our societies everywhere on the globe have an important problem to solve, which is quite practical. We need to create a financial system, which is more stable and sustainable than the one we have currently. We are facing huge challenges as a human community!

Jesus about Money …

There are many passages in the bible talking about money and how to use it. There are those which warn us: do not love money! We are asked to wisely use what we have. We should listen to the biblical wisdom when we think about how to set up proper rules for our markets - and when we live with what we have currently!

Jesus (in Matthew 6) says: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.“

So the first point for today is to calm down and look to the important things in life, not to the markets alone and the international storm around them. Yes, they influence our life and our society. But there are more important things in life. There are larger treasures than money. There is the Lord, his love and his power! Let us look towards him, every day, every hour … ... more texts