By Manuel & Luz Largaespada
"The early bird eats the
chicken breast ... and the late bird eats the leather of a saddle," goes a
popular and attractive saying in our Nicaraguan culture. And it is very attractive because we all want
to eat chicken breast and nobody wants to eat leather! Different cultures have summarized their
financial experiences in their own small sayings and each of them has a bit of
advice to help us find financial peace.
A few days ago, we introduced a hero
of finance at a meeting of the Estelí Pastoral Couples Network; Agur, son of
Jaqué, is a challenging character who shakes the foundations of our financial
philosophy. In Chapter 30 of the book
of Proverbs, Agur reveals to us some concrete and practical steps to move
towards financial peace, which were presented as "the sayings of
Agur."
During the workshop one of the
pastors shared his financial disaster as a result of misuse of credit cards,
and their recovery following the counsel of God. Then, one of the pastors shared, "In a
difficult time in our economy, I started making and selling ice cream to help
my husband as breadwinner. Now our
church has grown a lot, but occasionally that experience helps me to comfort and
guide other sisters who are struggling to get by."
During the rest of the workshop, we
dedicated to exploring the steps, or rather the traces, that Agur left on his
way to financial peace. This man began
his journey assuming financial responsibility with humility, "I am weary,
O God, and weak, I am the most ignorant of all men, no human thought in
me" (Prov.30.1- 2).
Agur did not think he knew it all,
nor did he come down the street trying to be the most astute; he recognized his
human limitations. We see him open to
learning, willing to change, thirsty for divine counsel. From here, Agur shares with us a few tips
that the pastors of Estelí have treasured and decided to practice until they
bear fruit; they are people in transformation.
To conclude, Agur challenges us to
consider the full picture of options and their possible consequences. He presents us with three financial paths:
the path of poverty and scarcity, the path of wealth or abundance and the path
of sufficiency. And all of this fits into
a prayer: "Only two things I ask, Lord, do not refuse me before I
die: Remove lies and falsehood far from
me and do not give me neither poverty nor riches but only my daily bread. Because having much, I could disown you and
say, "And who is the Lord?" And having little, I could steal and thus
dishonor the name of my God (Prov. 30:7-9).
Agur understood that finances can
honor or blaspheme the name of our God, for in financial management, we reflect
whether we are serving the true God or other gods. Clearly, Agur has already decided who he will
serve and honor. He decided to be happy
with his daily bread and enjoy the financial peace that this entails.
Agur invites us to ask ourselves
certain questions: What everyday sayings
do we believe? Which Way are we
committed to travel?
How good it has been to learn from
Agur and his strategy for financial peace, and how good it has been to count on
this strategy to fulfill our mission to bless all of the families on earth!
