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Wisdom Over Wealth with John Cortines
Episode 593
It’s often said that wisdom may create wealth, but wealth rarely creates wisdom.
What’s more valuable, wisdom or wealth? Before you answer, consider that wealth is fleeting, but wisdom is never lost. John Cortines joins us today to discuss why wisdom over wealth is always the right choice.
John Cortines is the Director of Grantmaking at The Maclellan Foundation and previously served as the Chief Operations Officer at Generous Giving. He is the co-author of God and Money: How We Discovered True Riches at Harvard Business School and True Riches: What Jesus Really Said About Money and Your Heart.
A Study in Ecclesiastes: Wisdom Over Wealth
For the last year, John has been working on an in-depth study for FaithFi titled "Wisdom Over Wealth: 12 Lessons from Ecclesiastes on Money." The study is designed to help believers align their financial decisions with biblical principles.
At the heart of the study is a profound truth: while wisdom and wealth are both valuable, only wisdom can preserve life.
A Tale of Three Siblings: The Power of Wisdom
To illustrate Ecclesiastes's message, John shares a real-life story that highlights the stark contrast between wisdom and wealth:
Three siblings each inherited $1 million at age 18—a life-changing sum. Yet, their paths diverged dramatically:
- The first sibling followed a path similar to the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), squandering their wealth and ending up in financial ruin.
- The second sibling made some wise decisions but ultimately spent beyond their means, leaving them with little to show for the inheritance.
- The third sibling sought wisdom, meeting with godly mentors and hiring a Christian financial advisor. They learned about generosity, investing, and stewardship. Today, they glorify God with their finances and have built a stable foundation for the future.
This story powerfully illustrates that wisdom can generate wealth, but wealth rarely generates wisdom.
Why Prioritizing Wisdom Matters
Ecclesiastes sheds light on this principle in Ecclesiastes 7:11-12:
"Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing and benefits those who see the sun. Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: wisdom preserves those who have it."
John shares three lessons from this passage that we can take from this:
- Wealth is useful, but it is temporary.
- Wisdom is lasting, offering protection, guidance, and life.
- Without wisdom, wealth can be destructive.
While Scripture never condemns wealth, it warns us to prioritize wisdom above financial gain.
Thanks to compound interest and investments, wealth tends to grow exponentially throughout life. However, wisdom doesn’t grow automatically—it requires intentional effort.
If wealth outpaces wisdom, it creates danger. But when wisdom leads, it preserves our life and financial well-being.
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Published on 10 months ago