What would God say to Senator Patty Murray, the Senate Budget Committee Chairman and US Representative Paul Ryan, the House Budget Committee Chairman?

 Stop spending tomorrow’s money today!

It is the same thing He told America’s founding fathers, and the same thing he told John Maynard Keynes.

You see, Capitalism is not just a good idea, it’s God’s idea.

Does this surprise you? I have found many Christians remain ignorant of the abundant advice God gives us on a personal, family, or even a national economy. Regardless of the economic topic, how do we get advice for financial decisions? In a national economic disaster that seems to only be getting worse by the day, where can national leaders turn for examples to follow?

Let’s take a trip over to the car lot to get some insight on this subject.

When you buy a new car you will find an owner’s manual inside. The owner’s manual has a lot of do’s and don’ts in its pages and they are all designed to allow you the best driving experience you can enjoy with your vehicle. It is there to help you, the driver, know what to do and what to expect.

Surprisingly, some people never even open the manual. For those who do, they find this owner’s manual gives detailed instructions on how to maximize the car’s performance and dependability. In its pages, you find guidelines on routine and required maintenance.

For example, as most of you know the manual says to “Change the oil every 3,000 miles.” Yes, it takes time and money to do this but it will be worth it. You may not like to be told what to do, but trust me; you need to do what the manual instructs. You may be a great driver, but you still need to consult the manual when it comes to keeping the car in tiptop shape.

Most of us know what will happen if we don’t change the oil. The oil’s job is to protect the engine. Day after day, it lubricates the moving parts. Day after day, it removes the dirt that would damage the engine that supplies the power that makes the driver so happy with his vehicle. (Unless you drive a Prius!) The oil actually absorbs the dirt. As the oil gets dirtier and dirtier, it will cease to be effective at its job. In fact, eventually it stops lubricating and protecting the engine and begins doing damage to the engine. After time, with only thick, dark, dirt-filled oil, the engine stops.

When your engine stops, don’t blame the engineer if you ignored his manual. Just take a good look in the mirror and know that it is your fault, not his.

It would stand to reason that the engineer is proud of his design and has given it a lot of thought as to how to best take care of it. As the designer, he actually knows what will make that car function at its optimum level. That designer is the ultimate authority on the vehicle’s operation. He doesn’t author the owner’s manual with all its rules and commands because he hates drivers. He writes the owner’s manual in order for the driver to enjoy his car to the max!

The ultimate designer of the entire universe wrote an owner’s manual, too. God wrote an owner’s manual for us — for us as individuals, for us as families, and for us as a nation. Within its pages are definite instructions regarding government and economy.

Released this month is the paperback edition of Godonomics, a practical look at what God has to say about a nation’s economy and its direct link to freedom.

My friend, I think we might be wise to go back and read that manual some more and strive to unequivocally heed its commands.

To US Representative Budget Committee Chairman, Paul Ryan, and Senate Budget Committee Chairman, Patty Murray I say, if you want solid, straight forward, proven answers to America’s economic woes — read Godonomics!

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