Financial Wisdom
- Living Below My Means
For years, I have been living significantly below my income and status.
2. The Illusion of Pentecostal Prosperity
Many Pentecostal pastors push their followers to live fake and deluded lives.
I see young men who spend most of their lives dressing like business executives as ushers or greeters, with no tangible financial structure. I see girls packaging themselves like celebrities with no tangible streams of income in the choir. I know young preachers with trendy haircuts, expensive suits, and SUVs they struggle to maintain. They must raise funds to maintain this illusion.
3. Avoiding Financial Marasmus
I know people who take overseas trips just to impress others, but they are financially marasmic.
Don’t live to impress people. Don’t live from pocket to mouth, wardrobe to ceremony. When you live below your means, you are not under pressure. I do not owe any bank, and I don’t owe my workers, despite employing many graduates. My wife does not own a personal car, even though we have several vehicles, and she employed seven drivers. When I told her the cost of a car I wanted to buy for her, she said it was too expensive. We live very frugally and simply but are very comfortable. I don’t need to rush out in the morning for any appointment except preaching engagements. Living below your income gives you money to invest.
4. Planning for Old Age
Old age is not an illness; it only needs more money for maintenance, according to Bishop John Bienose of the Church of God Mission. Those you try to impress will not be there to help you in old age. One member of this group had a simple naming ceremony for their baby with only about six people present and minimal cost.
5. Frugal Celebrations
My wife turned 62 on 25/8/2023. She even forgot it was her birthday. I bought items worth 9500 Naira from an eatery for her, and we are still eating some of the chicken today. Mrs. Apoki could have pressured me to spend a fortune, but she didn’t. This morning, I shared with her how much I reinvested in real estate, and she was surprised. The rich often pretend to be poor, while the poor pretend to be rich.
6. A Lesson from History
There’s a story about a bridge-built years ago in a city where only the rich wore shoes. To collect money from the rich for the bridge, they decided to tax those who wore shoes. The poor bought shoes to look rich, while the rich carried their shoes in bags and crossed the bridge barefoot to avoid paying. After crossing, they put their shoes back on. The poor ended up paying for the bridge, enriching the rich further by buying shoes from them. This is the tragedy of the poor.
“Great messages don’t make great people; only great decisions do. Great mentors don’t make great people; only great decisions and applications do.”
Think about these things.
I remain your friend, Dr. Charles Apoki. You are my responsibility.
