Christian B. Manaloto
|
Christian B. Manaloto |
“One cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6:24 || Luke 16:13) My area of specialization is not one that is commonly linked with becoming wealthy. So what is a theologian doing in a seminar on financial planning? The first great commandment according to Jesus of Nazareth directs the listener to “love God … with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). Loving God with all of one’s strength includes knowing how to take care of the blessings that God abundantly bestows. These blessings include wealth in the form of money and various financial instruments. Faithful Christian discipleship therefore includes good stewardship of wealth that enables the human wellbeing intended by God. “One who is faithful in small things will be faithful in greater things.” (Luke 16:10) Knowledge is liberating power. As a university professor and guide of young spirits, it is my task to empower those entrusted to my care by informing minds and forming mindsets for transforming individual lives and Philippine society. I remember one of our speakers saying that all of us are already wealthy and need only to properly manage what we do have. That the seminar speakers are entertainingly informative is definitely a bonus. But beyond that, I appreciated the values that underlie their practice : honesty, generosity, accountability. These encourage me to seek a better version of myself in a world that works without none left out. Knowing what I know now – especially the time value of money and that one should always look at the larger and long-term picture – I should have taken this seminar much earlier, and I encourage others to “go and do likewise” (Luke 10:37). |
