Wisdom in Money Management

Radio Voice of Life, this is the programme "Games and Beyond". Radio Voice of Life, Radio Voice of Life, Radio Voice of Life, Radio Voice of Life, Radio Voice of Life, Radio Voice of Life, Radio Voice of Life, Radio Voice of Life, Radio Voice of Life, Radio Voice of Life, Radio Voice of Life, Radio Voice of Life, Radio Voice of Life, Radio Voice of Life. I want to do something better. I mean, can I borrow money? Just kidding. No, but you really made a beautiful decision. No one learns anything good in haste. Today you learned patience. Mother dear, if you allow me, can I go to the shop just once? I promise I won’t take long. Go ahead, my daughter. I don’t have any problem with it. Mariam dear, I heard you went to the shop. What happened? Did you buy anything? No, auntie, I didn’t buy anything. When I saw the toy, I liked it. But then I remembered that I don’t really need it. And perhaps God wants me to buy something else today. Something else today. Something else today. Something else today. I mean, maybe we can buy a book for the neighbour's daughter? Yes, maybe. That will make me happy, and our daughter will also be happy. Well done, Mariam dear. God says in the Holy Bible that your gentleness should be evident in your dealings with others. Well done, my daughter. When a person learns that everything is a blessing, God always prepares something better for them. Maybe one day God will find you a better toy with a nicer colour. My daughter, perhaps the joy of helping others is greater than just having a toy. Beautiful children, you must listen to your mother and father carefully. And be smart and articulate children. Good and lovely children. Now let’s listen to the next part of the programme together. Hello and greetings. Hello and greetings. A good day to all the lovely children who hear our voice from every corner of the village and the beautiful cities of our country, Afghanistan. I hope you all are doing well and that your smiles shine like the bright sun. Today we have come to discuss a very important topic. A topic that you may deal with every day. What is the goal? Yes, you are right, money. Greetings to all my dear listeners. We are with Nafisa, and today I am very happy to talk to you all about money. Of course, not about having money, but about using money wisely. Hello from me. I am Mariam, friends. I am younger than Nafisa. I like money because it allows me to buy ice cream or art supplies for drawing. But my mother always says that I must learn how to use money wisely. Hello, dear children. I am also your aunt. I am always happy to talk to you today. Today we want to learn together what God says about money and how we can use our money wisely so that we can be happy and help others. Children, money is a tool. It is not the main happiness in life. God has taught us to appreciate His blessings. In the Holy Bible, in the first letter of Paul to Timothy, chapter six, verses six and seven, it is written, “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and we can take nothing out of it.” What does this mean? It means that if we learn to be satisfied with what we have and use it wisely, that in itself is the greatest wealth. What a beautiful truth, my dear. I remember once I spent all my savings. Every day I would buy something at the shop: crisps, biscuits, chocolate. But after a week, when I ran out of money, I realised that this wasn’t the right way to spend. Yes, I remember. At the end of the week, you came and said, “I have no money.” I showed you my piggy bank, which was still full. Well done, Mariam dear. Having a piggy bank is a very good thing. Every child should learn how to take care of their money. When someone learns to take care of their money, when they grow up, they will make better decisions and won’t waste their money. Oh, and there’s another point. Sometimes we think the more we buy, the happier we will be. But in reality, true happiness comes from God and from the peace we have in our hearts. Dear friends, tell me, when you get money from your family, what do you do with it? Yes, some of you might say you save it for ice cream. Some might save it for books, and some may just look at it. That’s all good, but the most important thing is to learn to make wise decisions. Mother, sometimes our friends might lose their money or spend it thoughtlessly. What should they do then? That’s a very good question, my daughter. If someone loses their money, they shouldn’t be upset. Instead, they should learn from that experience. They should remember to be cautious next time and always keep in mind that money is a trust, not just personal property. Exactly, my dear. God has given us everything in trust. We are responsible for handling it correctly. It doesn’t matter if it’s time, money, or a special skill or talent. We can feel happy when we wisely use our money, and our mothers and fathers will be pleased. Yes, because when a person spends wisely, they feel a sense of growth and responsibility. For example, I learned to buy books instead of useless things, or to buy a book that will always be useful to me. Dear children, you have listened carefully to our group. What do you think? If each of you makes just one decision to spend your money wisely from today, how much better would the world be? Isn’t that right? For instance, instead of buying something you don’t need, you could buy food for someone who is hungry or buy a book to expand your mind. God will be very pleased with you. I always say money is good if it’s in the right hands, not in the heart, because when money takes a place in the heart, a person forgets what love and kindness are. Auntie, I learned something else too: sometimes it’s not important to say and buy. If my friend has something and I don’t, I shouldn’t feel sad or jealous because God has a plan for everyone. Well done, my daughter. That shows you are growing up. When we learn that not everything we see is necessary to buy, our hearts become calmer. Children, let’s learn together. Money is a tool for doing good, not the goal of our lives. If we learn to take care of little things, God will give us greater blessings. My dear children, let’s make it a habit to spend money wisely. I have decided that every time my mother gives me money, I will divide it into three parts: one for needs, one for savings, and one for helping others. And friends, I have decided that every time I want to buy something, I will ask myself if I really need it or if I just want it. And I remind you all that every Afghan afghani is valuable because it comes from the hard work and love of your family, so you must be grateful and use it wisely. Well done to all of you, and now, my lovely children, who have been listening to our programme until now, think about how you can use your money wisely today. Maybe for buying a book, maybe for helping others, or maybe just for saving and being grateful for what you have. May God bless you, and remember that kindness, patience, and contentment are three keys to happiness. Did you enjoy the programme, children? I learned many things from this section of the programme. What about you? I’m sure you learned a lot of good things too. Yes, dear children, now let’s listen to the next part of the programme together. The music is playing; today mother will tell us a new story. A new story, yes. There’s always a real and educational story to listen to. Do you like to listen? Oh, how can you not like it? Mother’s stories are always full of kindness or beautiful morals. Mother, go ahead, we are ready. Very well, my dear children. Today I will tell you a story that took place in a town called Nazareth. This story is found in the Holy Bible, in the Gospel of Luke, chapter four, verses sixteen to thirty-two. Are you ready? Yes, go ahead, mother dear. One day Jesus Christ, after facing temptations in the wilderness, returned to His hometown. The same town where He grew up. Its name was Nazareth. The people of the town knew Him because they had seen Him grow up and live there. On a Saturday, which was the day of worship for the Jews, Jesus always went to the synagogue. Many people gathered there, including some religious teachers, elderly men, and curious young people. They all wanted to hear what Jesus would say because news of His works had spread far and wide. When it was time for reading from the Scriptures, a scroll was handed to Him containing the writings of the Prophet Isaiah. Jesus opened the scroll and found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” These verses are found in the Gospel of Luke, chapter four, verses eighteen and nineteen. When Jesus read these verses, He closed the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. All the eyes of the people were fixed on Him. A strange silence fell over the place. Jesus calmly said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Girls, do you understand what the people felt when they heard this? They may have felt happy because those words were good. At first, yes. The people were amazed and said, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” They thought He was just a young man from their town, nothing more. But then Jesus began to explain to them and said, “You will surely say to me this proverb, ‘Physician, heal yourself.’ Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in your hometown.” This stirred the people a bit. Jesus then gave them an example. He said, “In the days of Elijah, there were many widows in Israel, but God sent His prophet to a widow in Sidon, a foreign land. And in the days of Elisha, there were many lepers in Israel, but only Naaman the Syrian was healed.” When Jesus said this, the people became very angry because they felt He was saying that God chose others, not just their own people. Mother, why did the people get angry? My dear, sometimes people don’t accept the truth, even when it’s right in front of them. The people of Nazareth thought Jesus should only do great works for them because He was from their town. But God doesn’t limit His work to just one town, tribe, or group. The people became so furious that they got up from their seats and were shouting. The synagogue was filled with uproar. Some of them came to seize Jesus and lead Him out of the town to throw Him off a cliff. What happened then, mother? My dear, a very strange thing occurred. At that moment, when the people were surrounding Jesus, He walked through the midst of them and went His way, unharmed. No one could touch Him. Only God protected Him. After that, Jesus left Nazareth and went to other towns to tell God’s message to others. Mother, did the people of His own town not understand Jesus at all? Yes, my dear, sometimes people don’t believe how God can use an ordinary person for great things, even when they know them well. So, we should look at everyone with open eyes, right? Exactly, my daughter. Sometimes God uses people we might not expect, and most importantly, no one should think that God only works for a specific group. God’s love is for everyone. Mother, this story was very beautiful. Yes, indeed, it’s amazing how people react when they hear the truth. But remember, when the truth is told, not everyone will be happy, but the truth is still the truth. Yes, dear children, this story from the Holy Bible was very educational, and I learned many things I didn’t know before. Yes, Mariam, I also learned a lot. Yes, dear children, as we conclude this programme, I entrust you all to God. Goodbye to all of you.