Smart Money and Dumb Money Luck
In Feng Shui and Astrology, there is this thing called smart money and dumb money. Smart money is money that you know how you got it. Dumb money is money that you do not know how you got it.
Dumb money is also known as windfall luck. When I came to know about the concept of smart money and dumb money, I thought that I had been making mostly smart money all along and wanted to increase my dumb money or windfall luck.
But after having gone through enough experiences in my life, I come to realize that 90% of what I achieved in life was based on dumb money luck and not smart money luck. When I was walking closely with God and Jesus Christ, I was experiencing the blessing of God and prosperity came into my life in ways that seem like smart money. And when I was walking farther away from God and Jesus Christ, dumb things happen in my life that create setbacks, failures and loses that seem bewildering to me.
Deuteronomy 8:12 Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;
13 And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied;
17 And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.
18 But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.
There are many people who got rich because they got a lucky strike or they did something because of gut feel. Then later on when they got the results, they pretend to be so clever and give all kinds of “intelligent” reasons for their success. Well, all of them are lying because the Bible says:
Romans 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
Ecclesiastes 9:11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
The wisest and richest man in the Bible known as King Solomon acknowledges dumb money the most in his book of Ecclesiastes.
The ones who are telling the truth about their success will acknowledge they are lucky or blessed. Unfortunately, the world cannot accept that and it always seek to find answers through natural explanations in terms of action and cleverness. Children of God are in this world but they are not of this world.
When one is thinking they are making smart money, they could actually be making dumb money. But they don’t know it because they are dumb dumb. Don’t be a dummy.
Romans 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.
The Bible says that King Nebuchadnezzar built the most glorious kingdom of his time, and he boasted that he built it by the power of his might and the honor of his own majesty. Then an angel from heaven smite him with dumbness until he became as a dumb beast for seven years. When he looked up into the heavens one day and acknowledged God as the one who gives him the kingdom, his senses returned and the kingdom was restored to him. This is a true story in the book of Daniel.
It is dumb to go for smart money. It is smart to go for dumb money. Such is the paradox of life.
Why go for money by your own strength, your own self effort? It is better to go for the blessing of the Lord and let prosperity come upon you through ways that are of His grace and goodness.
1 Corinthians 1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
The Bible says that when Joseph’s brothers came to buy rice from him during the famine, they found money in their sacks after they left. They did not know who put the money in their sacks. Joseph put it there, and Joseph is a representation of Jesus.
This is called dumb money. When God’s people are blessed with prosperity, it can come in ways by which they do not know exactly how it happened. It can be like they found a good deal, got a good opportunity, had a great idea, met some helpful people, got some great advice, experience an increase in customers, got unexpected bonus, etc. It’s like windfall luck. But Jesus is the one who supply the prosperity supernaturally by his blessing.
Some people will always find a way to explain all phenomena through natural means instead of acknowledging the supernatural.
1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Dumb money comes by the Favor of God. The Favor of God puts one at the right place at the right time. The Favor of God brings the right people together. The Favor of God brings help from nobleman. The Favor of God brings opportunity and prosperity.
Smart money comes by the Wisdom of God. The Hebrew word for Wisdom is “Sakal” which means skill and cunning.
I realized that in the past, 10% of my money is smart money that comes from the Wisdom of God from time to time. That is because I had initially asked God for much wisdom initially and had gotten lots of it. But later on, I did not continually ask for wisdom as much as before because I thought I had gotten a lot of wisdom and had become a super wise man. I still continued to prosper during those times when I walked closely with God because of His Grace and Favor, but that was actually all just dumb money which is great except when one mistaken dumb money as smart money when it is actually dumb money. It is only when one goes through ups and downs according to life circumstances and the state of one’s spiritual walk with God, does one come to differentiate between what was smart money and dumb money along the way.
James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
The above verse shows that God gives wisdom liberally when one asks God for it. But because I thought that once I had gotten a lot of wisdom from God, I should not think that I lack wisdom anymore because I have become wise and that verse applies for those who are foolish and need to ask God for wisdom.
I was wrong. That verse applies to everyone all the time no matter how much wisdom they have gained or how wise they have become. Because Wisdom is different from Knowledge. Knowledge is a passive thing. Wisdom is an active thing. Knowledge can be accumulated and stored up like data. But Wisdom is something that needs to be constantly activated to deal with decisions, events, changes and conditions in the present moment. Wisdom is something that needs to be constantly asked from God to remain activated at an optimal state and for dealing with current affairs. Wisdom is inspiration received from moment to moment. It is like a guiding hand from God that guides our thoughts, perceptions, understanding about any subject matter in real time and not based on fixed past knowledge and perceptions.
The Jews always knew that they prospered because of the Blessing of Abraham that is brought through the Covenant of God. Therefore they always sought for prosperity through the power of God.
The Greeks were heavily focused into philosophy and the wisdom of “Know Thyself”.
1 Corinthians 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
Jesus Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. The power of God is also the grace and favor of God for blessing and prosperity. This is dumb money. The wisdom of God is smart money. In Christ, one can have both wisdom and favor. Jesus is the Source of everything.
1 Corinthians 1:20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
1 Corinthians 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
When you have the blessing of the Lord, you don’t have to worry about going deep and wide into all the worldly methods of success because anything you do that is based on sound wisdom will work. Going for the supernatural is a much easier and effortless path than going for the natural. When you are under a curse, even all the worldly methods of success that you employ would also yield a lot less results and you would have to sweat a lot more to compensate and claim false glory of the flesh.
Psalms 1:2-3 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
The Bible says that if you meditate on the Law of the LORD day and night, whatever you do shall prosper. All your actions, visualization, physical, mental, metaphysical and spiritual methods that you employ will have success. Without the blessing of the LORD, that is why you fail and become confounded. Supernatural results confound the carnally minded man. The carnal mind always thinks in terms of what is carnal and natural. Only when you are spiritually minded will you understand supernatural results. Concentrate on the supernatural and you will have the real eternal value while everyone else is deceiving themselves by natural and earthly ways.
Ro 14:23 For whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
The opposite of faith is sin. Why is it so hard to have faith? Because trying to have faith in the flesh is difficult. One must ask God for faith and receive the gift of faith by drawing from God.
Romans 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Romans 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Ro 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
Ro 14:22 Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.
