HOW TO MAKE 2024 COUNT Pt.12

FINANCIAL INTELLIGENCE(D)

I learnt some hard life lessons from my dad because he shared some of his regrets with me. He told me that in the 60s&70s up until the 80s, most christians saw it as worldly to invest in real estate because heavenly home was their only focus. They thought it carnal to build here since a mansion await them in heaven.

When he was earning £10 pounds, a plot was sold for £5 pounds and payment by instalment was permitted yet he didn't buy a land. Often, he points to me high brow areas today that were once thick forests or cocoa farm.

Some believers in his generation were tormented by wicked and diabolical landlords who told them they don't want anyone to pray in their houses. In fact, some do not rent houses to Christians. When their eyes opened that it is better to own than to rent, the value of land had appreciated beyond what most of them could afford in the immediate environs where they met for fellowship. Everyone went far in search for land.

Most believers in his generation were discipled by men who had extreme views about financial intelligence. For instance, my uncle told me they were told that it was carnal to have more than N3,500 in their account because when Christ comes, the money would be a waste.

I lived in the city of Abuja for a month and few days in the year 2008. One major complaint I heard from people there was about the exorbitant fees they paid for rent. Some practically work for landlords because a very large portion of their earnings goes into rent.

The situation is not better in Lagos especially in major business areas. Landlords are smiling to the bank while their tenants are labouring assiduously to put smile on their faces, then I ask myself, how long will this kind of life last?

The painful part is that I see people who buy exotic cars worth more than the cost of a plot of land in some choice places still living in rented apartment yet they don't have any house or land anywhere they can point to as theirs. That's lack of financial intelligence.

Some are eating their future today. How? I see young folks with phones that can buy a plot of land. Some of them saved money to purchase it. Some ladies wear wigs that can conveniently buy lands. Does that make sense?

Financial intelligence demands that you reduce or eliminate what goes into rent and have your own because to own is better than to rent. To keep paying for rent when you can have your own is a sign that you lack intelligence.

Living in luxury and paying heavily for rent without making plans for yours may lead to regret in the future. Some top executives lived that way years ago without giving a thought to this issue, when they lost their jobs, their eyes opened but it was late.

I know a pepper seller and market cleaner who is a landlady today. I know many drivers who are landlords but it pains to see bank executives, office workers and the educated paying rent to those they order around in their offices.

We pray to take our world for Christ but we fail to remember that he who owns the land dominate the city. There is a reason for the word 'Landlord'- Lords of the land.

Your impact in a place where you are liable to eviction will be short-lived. You may not be a "Lord" over the spiritual atmosphere of where you reside If don't own a land there.

Now, there are estates owned by unbelievers and they placed restriction on Christians buying land and building churches there. That is an exercise of Lordship over the land they occupy. It has spiritual implication. If you think otherwise, then i'll ask why they decided to restrict Christians and churches? How will the gospel infiltrate such communities? We need to wake up as believers.

Don't wait for when you'll have money to buy land in high brow areas, the bushes you're seeing today will end up becoming a city tomorrow. Do not despise that opportunity to own a land of yours in the woods.

This year, plan and work towards it. Be wise.