Generosity, Finance, Marriage

Generosity, Finance and Marriage.

GENEROSITY

Generosity is often defined as an expression of your true joy; the more joyful you are, the more generous you are to others and the more sorrowful you are, the less generous you will be.

Generosity is generally misinterpreted as one giving in his/her finances, but generosity goes far beyond that. Being generous to someone or a group of people is out of the love and joy that you have within you. It has nothing to do with how much money a person gives away to charities or to the poor.

True generosity is serving and anticipating the need. We serve out of our time, skills, helping, encouragement and finance.

Those who give in finance alone deceive themselves for doing good. A person who gives in finance will always be remembered as one who had riches and wealth, but one who gives in true generosity through his/her time, skills, helping and encouragement will leave a legacy.

Interesting to note how the most highly respected individuals in history have been generous in everything but finance.

What are your views on Generosity?

FINANCE

This area of life is probably one of the most challenging talking points in advising those under the age of 30 as most people have a distorted view of managing their finances (which is why most of the world countries are in debt).

A common mistake that most individuals make is simply living beyond their means, in other words they want to be "there" before their finances allow them that privilege. Society as a whole are managing their finances incorrectly, let me provide a simple illustration:

Wealth is being able to live without an income for a specified amount of time, in other words a "retiring period of living." An individual who earns a high salary, does not mean that he/she is wealthy; there are those that earn high salaries, but yet they are not wealthy because their expenses are too high.

One way to assess true wealth is by looking at your assets, subtracting your liabilities (incl. debts and outstanding tax - business and personal) which would give you your net wealth, then divide this up by your monthly expenses to see how long you would be able to "survive" for.

The scary fact is that many wouldn't be able to "survive" for a comfortable period of time. Let's use another example:

The escalation of the exchange rates, petrol price, population, inflation, rates & taxes and living expenses increase annually (as a whole).  If you aim to save a few million for your future, would it still be worth the same value by then? (Just a thought).

Are you guaranteed your job? as well as a salary increase every year along with inflation?

Would it not make sense that as the population increases, it would make it more challenging to find a job regardless of your degree? and as business expenses increase each year, would they not cut back on salary increases?

This would then lead to the majority of people relying on credit, which we know that the end result leads to more and more debt. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds around the world over the next 10 - 15 years.

It all boils down to acquiring as much wealth as possible and the only way to do that is to swallow any pride and to not live beyond the means in which your finance allows.

What are your views on Finance?

MARRIAGE

Although there was a time where marriage was a special covenant between two people and was a lifelong promise to each other; in today's age, marriage is defined differently to each person.

Marriage has lost its value in society as it is socially acceptable to live with a partner before marriage, and if it doesn't work out there is an easy alternative of the mistake in the form of divorce papers.

Society promotes sex because there are now condoms, birth control pills and many other contraceptives.

Interesting to note that since it became legal to have sex at a young age and it was accepted as normal to have sex before marriage, how the divorce rate has increased. Perhaps there must be a difference between lust and love?

Marriage is a wonderful thing created by God between man and woman. But yet it has lost its true meaning and its values over the years.

Marriage is about serving each other out of love and not out of duty. Husbands, if you want to be respected, then start showing your wife respect. Wives, if you want to be loved, then start showing your husbands love - harsh yes, but true.

There are many Christians who have sex before marriage, but is this how Christianity should be reflected? There are many Christian couples who are engaged who have sex before marriage because they are "almost married" - is this how Christianity should be reflected?

We always wonder why many people don't become Christians, and I believe that is because of the poor misrepresentation of what Christianity is. You might be the only Bible that people read.

There might be many views and disagreements regarding this topic, but this is based on my faith and my views.

Romans 12:2 - "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

Isaiah 5:20 - "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil..."

What are your views on Marriage?

Thank you for taking the time of reading this message.

KBP