Freedom, Joy, and Liberty

The true meaning of freedom, joy, and liberty is linked intrinsically with our stewardship.

As the COVID-19 pandemic rages, countries that have slashed their infection rates and mortality numbers are better positioned to reopen their economies.

Tragically, those countries which have failed to do so face catastrophic implosions that will eradicate millions of domestic jobs and hollow-out their sick economies.

We need to pray that a semblance of normalcy returns sooner rather than later so that the draconian laws now in place in almost every nation to ostensibly save lives will not harden permanently and result in irreversible losses of human freedom.

While we look outward and wait, we should also scrutinise what’s happening inside us…

Consider John 8:31-32, “To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”

Verse 32 – you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free – has for decades resonated in my mind as one of Jesus’s most planet-shaking teachings. I consider it the divine source of the driving passion of our species’ most courageous researchers, inventors, and scientists, regardless of their religious or philosophical inclinations.

As the far-flung peoples of Earth pray for a decisive victory against the SARS-CoV-2 virus – which at the time of this writing has infected nearly 130 million people and killed almost 3 million of us (for the latest numbers, refer to https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/) – our collective hopes are grafted onto the efforts of virologists and vaccinologists racing against the clock to design, test, manufacture, and disseminate vaccines. (To learn about some of these titans of science, past and present, visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Vaccinologists.)

As most of the 7.8 billion people alive today are not involved in the hard science wielded in laboratories with the express purpose of defeating this pandemic, the smartest thing we can do is stay safe while enjoying those freedoms we still retain to inject joy in our lives. (As a Christian, I believe knowing Jesus Christ personally is the best way to achieve that goal.)

But whether you, dear reader, share my beliefs or not, I know all of us can benefit from taking stock of our lives through self-examination. (Atheists may wish to stop reading here; agnostics are welcome to continue.)

When we quieten our souls and listen to our inner murmurings, most of us at some stage in our lives have detected an amorphous unease which, if harnessed, can move us closer to our Creator. Consider this passage from 17^th century French genius, mathematician, philosopher, and Christian apologist Blaise Pascal’s book Pensées (‘Thoughts’):

“What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace? This he tries in vain to fill with everything around him, seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot find in those that are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words, by God Himself.”

(For an intriguing discussion on this extract of Pascal’s writing do read Dr Douglas Groothuis’ posting at http://theconstructivecurmudgeon.blogspot.com/2006/05/incorrect-pascal-quotes.html) 

Most of us, Christians and non-Christians alike, have at one time looked up at a star-studded night sky and asked: “God, who am I? What am I supposed to be doing? Why am I here? Do YOU have a plan for me?”

Anyone capable of asking those four questions will also be sufficiently self-aware to recognise the truth in St. Paul’s letter to the Galatians in 5:22-23:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

It seems to me all of us need more joy (as well as oodles more love, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) just to retain our sanity in this debilitatingly bleak chapter of human history.

To stay sane over the long haul we should shift our gaze from the appalling pandemic numbers in the news to our innate capacity to reclaim liberties for ourselves and our loved ones.

In the early years of my professional financial planning practice, I developed my L-I-B-E-R-T-Y Blueprint as a framework to teach key life planning principles:

Step 1 – Liability eradication

Each of us should spend time thinking about what we own and what we owe. Financially speaking, what we owe is a greater source of stress than what we own.

So, focus on getting out of debt as fast as possible, and then on staying debt-free forever after.

Step 2 – Investing inclination

If you’re a Christian, I encourage you to honour God with your firstfruits by tithing 10% of your income. Simultaneously, develop your inclination to set aside some of your remaining 90% of income toward personal savings and investments. Enhance your investing inclination by learning about it (please see Step 5).

Step 3 – Buy low, sell high

Once you’ve made investing a central part of your life, implement intelligent strategies that allow you to consistently, over the long-term, buy low and sell high. One such strategy I recommend is dollar-cost averaging (DCA). (If you don’t know how to set up a potentially enriching DCA programme, here’s my free eReport on that subject: https://freecoolarticles.com/HowToGuide-DecipheringtheDCA-VCACode.pdf.)

Step 4 – Emergency buffer establishment

Given the ups and downs of life, it’s not just useful but essential to build an emergency buffer fund (EBF) – or a cushion or reserve account – large enough to smoothen the bumps of salary and other income delays, and to pay for the occasional financial emergency, be it the need for a new water tank, car radiator, or uninsured medical procedure.

Step 5 – Rajen’s reading list

In my opinion, clearing time to read the Bible every day is the wisest thing any of us can do. Additionally, those who are focused on soaring financially should deepen their knowledge in the different yet interconnected disciplines of investing, economics, business, and financial planning. My 2003 ebook 26 Books to Take YOU All the Way to the TOP! will provide you with such a pertinent reading menu. You may access it for free at: https://freecoolarticles.com/26BooksToTheTop.pdf

Step 6 – Teach others

The way to learn is to teach. So, as you grow in your knowledge, please share it with others.

Step 7 – Yearn, learn, and earn your way to financial freedom

As you learn more and more about money mechanics, you’ll discover a growing motivation to prosper monetarily. Financial freedom will be attained when your collective portfolio of savings instruments, investments, and businesses spins out sufficient passive income to cover all living expenses.

You’ll then be able to stop working for money because your money will be toiling for you. That’s what I would call true L-I-B-E-R-T-Y.