Riches are arriving

In the United States, a new president takes charge on the 20th. Donald Trump was the pit bull of presidential contenders, surprising everybody, especially liberals. He showed us a reality-TV fight-to-the-finish victory; a cage-match, kick-boxer kind of win. Now he brings us along for the ride while he settles down to govern.

I think he will settle down and he'll govern well but with values cherished by hard-working conservatives who were deeply alarmed and dismayed by a government that increasingly seemed to be from Europe, not America.

During the campaign, I had said, "Trump is a genius at publicity. His outrageous remarks make him stand out. They're not his real position. They reveal his feelings but not his judgment. He could not be a leader who runs his business that way or else he wouldn't be a billionaire."

One thing we know about Mr. Trump is that he does know how to make money and how to manage a global empire. He makes employees be accountable for results or else, "You're fired!" Under Obama, the worst of scandals or the most incompetent workers never got fired, except for brilliant military officers who told him the truth. Under Trump, we'll see peace, prosperity, more jobs, lower taxes, and debts eliminated.

I hope the dependency on U.S. tax dollars being redistributed also gets reduced. For some, the third-generation is now on welfare. It's a lifestyle for the family. They have a poverty mentality, a futile way of life. They don't work but work the system then train their children to do it. I started writing about this before 1990. I saw vanishing fathers in families. We need to prepare young men for marriage and parenting, not just to get athletic scholarships.

The largest transfer of wealth in history is underway, estimated at $3.9 trillion. Baby-Boomers are dying. Their money and property are going to GenX Millennials. It's a generational transfer. The big question is, will the new generation being infused with money create more wealth like their parents and grandparents did? Or will they consume it on themselves? Are the days of the family as the "engine of wealth creation" now over, due to social disintegration and government excess?

Money is not wealth. You can have money flooding your bank account and still not be wealthy. If you give money to a person who can't tell the difference between greed versus need--who thinks only of immediate gratification--then the money won't last. A million dollars can be easily squandered in a year.

In the Bible, one of the marks of God's favor was prosperity. He chose people, then blessed them. I've noticed that God never called anyone who was lazy. Joseph was unfairly put in prison but was soon running it and before long, the country of Egypt as well. Jesus loved the poor but he befriended the wealthy. Only wealthy people have the power to assist the poor or create jobs. Think about that.

Wealth is a way of thinking about money, not just having money. Wealth reflects the mindset and behavior of people who will use their money to make more money. That requires wisdom. Once wealth has been created, good managers make it grow. They live by the interest or earnings that it produces. They try to protect the original principle from taxes or inflation. They only train and employ (or invest in) trustworthy people. They try to prevent losses due to carelessness or crime. As owners, they want to leave an inheritance to their children's children.

I think God wants more millionaires among his people. Will you volunteer?

-- Ron Wood is a writer and minister. Contact him at [email protected] or visit www.touchedbygrace.org. The opinions expressed are those of the author.

Editorial on 01/04/2017