Neglecting What's Next

In the drive to engineer social justice for the masses, one of the "bright" ideas being floated about is for the federal government to take control of IRAs and 401Ks. The government is so enamored with debt that they are considering taking away the only incentive for people to save for their retirement. This would turn privately managed savings into just another tax to feed the big government machine.

The behavior that such a change would drive is to cause people to stop contributing to their own nest egg. If there is no tax-deferred incentive to save, it is too easy to put off building up savings and once there is some savings, too easy to spend it if doing so does not incur a tax penalty.

The government does not want us saving anything. They don't like the idea that funds which are "hoarded" are not being spent to "stimulate" the economy. Indeed, they'd like all people to be dependant on the government when they can no longer work for an income. In their minds, that is the only fair way. But what it does is promote mediocrity. As more personal decisions are taken over by the government, there are fewer opportunities for individuals to take actions to improve their situation.

With the government removing tax incentives to save, they are removing personal responsibility for what is next in our life. But neglecting that is perilous. Proverbs 6:6-9 says, "Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which, having no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest. How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep?" (NKJ).

Neglecting what is next in life is rampant in our day and will get worse as we get closer to the return of Jesus. People just don't want to consider their eternal destiny. But that is why we're here, to prepare for eternity. As followers of Jesus, we have no excuse to fall victim to the trap of neglecting what is next in life. And that means applying God's principles to save despite the government's disincentives to do so and making sure our account with Jesus is current.