Do all people have equal value? YES…all are created in the image of God. Is everyone equal? No…even a five year old knows that some people can run faster than others, one person can juggle and the next person does not have that kind of coordination. Some people are naturally bigger in stature and thus stronger than others. One is better at math than others. Some paint beautiful, valuable works of art and others struggle to even paint a wall neatly. Men are different than women…I think it is obvious that women can do many things that men cannot. People are not equal in talents, strength, beauty…and not all turn out equally or are they supposed to. They have different family backgrounds, skills, intelligence levels, talents and personalities and so they end up at different places in life.

Because of this people handle their finances in different ways and thus they will reach different economic levels. One reason is wisdom or the lack of it. Some will make better economic decisions than others. Some will spend all they make and some will save part of what they make. Some will borrow and pay interest on items and others will save and buy items for cash, allowing them to invest the money they would have spent on interest. Some will use their money to buy a hard asset like a house that increases in value, but others will spend their money on depreciating items like cars and vacations.

Another huge differentiator among peoples’ economic levels is called risk and the reward that comes from taking risk. Rabi Lapin, like many others, equates risk with faith. It was taught as a financial principal to the early Hebrews. Lapin calls God’s lessons to the Hebrews a benefit package, “…there is a benefit package that often accompanies biblical faith…one of the most important of these benefits is faith itself.  Having faith accustoms people to making major commitments without assurance of success.  Couples must marry without the help of a crystal ball that would predict all the ups and downs of their future together.  Farmers plant and await crops that may or may not ripen.  Investing capital, starting a business, hiring new employees – all involve risk and require faith. (1)

Generally speaking individual people have different levels of risk tolerance. They are not equal in this area. Some seem to have a greater capacity to take financial risks (and sleep at night), and those people generally get more financial rewards. In my book, A Practical Path to a Prosperous Life, I call this financial courage. However, I do believe we can ask God to increase our financial courage and I have done so personally with positive results. As a practical step forward in your finances, ask God to give you more financial courage and see what He does.

(1) Rabbi Daniel Lapin – ‘America’s Real War’, pages 220-221,©1999 Multinomah Publishers, Inc..