Financial Freedom

In the third chapter of the book of Proverbs, we find practical wisdom regarding the decisions we make, including those involving our possessions; we can read:
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
8 It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.
9 Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
10 So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.

The linchpin of our Biblical financial stewardship has to do with giving - it is taught that we are to bring our firstfruits to God; Malachi instructs us to bring our "tithes" into the storehouse, which has been interpreted to mean the local church.  Giving back to God first is a key to being a good steward; after all, when we adopt the attitude that everything we own is His, that will drive how we allocate what has been entrusted to us. 

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The Bible speaks, in Proverbs 27, about knowing the condition of that which has been entrusted to you. We find these words in that chapter:
23 Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, And attend to your herds;
24 For riches are not forever, Nor does a crown endure to all generations.
25 When the hay is removed, and the tender grass shows itself, And the herbs of the mountains are gathered in,
26 The lambs will provide your clothing, And the goats the price of a field;
27 You shall have enough goats' milk for your food, For the food of your household, And the nourishment of your maidservants.

It's been said that essentially the financial decisions we make can really say a lot about our own spiritual condition.  We should submit this important area of money under the authority of the Holy Spirit. That includes bringing our firstfruits to God and the churches and ministries we support.

But, what happens if you have powerful elites who do not believe that your finances should promote life, marriage, religious freedom, or other issues that do not line up with a global agenda?  There is a promotion of economic policies in which coercion is present to make "certain" financial decisions and there is a move afoot, as I've discussed, to exert pressure in these areas and to punish those who do not comply. 

One arena where financial managers are pursuing a harmful agenda is in the area of environmental, social, and governance, or ESG. Recently, it was announced that 19 state governors across our nation have banded together in an alliance to stand against the intrusive ESG financial strategy.  According to The Daily Signal, the governors, in a statement, made this reference: “This month, Congress exercised its powers under the Congressional Review Act to disapprove of the Department of Labor Rule relating to ‘Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights..." The article noted that legislation had passed both chambers of Congress, but was vetoed by the President in his first veto of his administration. 

The statement also said, "We as freedom-loving states can work together and leverage our state pension funds to force change in how major asset managers invest the money of hardworking Americans, ensuring corporations are focused on maximizing shareholder value, rather than the proliferation of woke ideology..."  The governors of states covered by the on-air signal of Faith Radio: Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, are members of the Alliance. 

Andrew Olivastro, vice president of outreach at The Heritage Foundation, is quoted as saying, “This is a clear message that senior state executives, like attorneys general and state financial officers before them, recognize ESG is incompatible with self-governance and are fully in the fight.”

The article also said:

The governors’ joint statement also mentions “state-level efforts” aimed at “[protecting] individuals from the ESG movement that threatens the vitality of the American economy and Americans’ economic freedom.”

An 1819 News article featured comments made by Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall on Alabama Public Television.  He said:

...our work, number one, has been around protecting hard-working Alabamians who have got their money in IRAs and investment accounts when we have a Biden administration who wants to give protection to investment advisers to invest in ESG investments when they may not have the best return coming back because it is really a battle of the left to inject issues and create change that they can't get at the ballot box, particularly in a state like Alabama."

The Daily Wire, after the Presidential veto, reported: "Critics of the ESG movement...assert that the investment philosophy mingles political and social causes, such as diversifying company leadership with respect to race or sex, in a manner that compromises or distracts from profitability. They point to lackluster performance from ESG funds last year as technology firms...suffered in the stock market while energy companies, which ESG managers tend to dislike because of carbon emissions associated with the sector, witnessed outsized returns."

We are responsible for what we possess.  We should make sure that our financial stewardship lines up with what we say we believe.  Sometimes decisions are made by others, and that is why it is necessary to know the "conditions of our flocks," as the Bible says.  What we possess should ideally reflect what we believe.  That is why this pushback by leaders over financial mismanagement by using ESG standards is welcomed.

We should also remember that there is a global agenda that has an aim of total control, with built-in punishments for non-compliance.   ESG is a financial tool that is consistent with this agenda. We have to be aware of these trends, be prayerful, and continue to stand strong amidst pressure to abandon our deeply-held Biblical beliefs. 

This is yet another example that elections have consequences.  People throughout these 19 states have elected leaders who are committed to making sound financial decisions, recognizing their stewardship responsibility. This goes for the gubernatorial level, but also on other elected officials, such as attorneys general and state treasurers.