Pyramid Schemes

Reading for Today: Proverb Chapter 28

Gold Nugget

Verse 19: “He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough.”  

Commentary

I have been around long enough to recognize a pyramid scheme fairly quickly. What comes as a surprise to me sometimes is the people that get sucked into them. These people fall into 1 of 2 categories. They are either greedy or gullible. The promise of getting rich is too attractive for the greedy and too tempting for the gullible. Our current economy has opened a wide door for these pyramid schemes. Although they are cleverly disguised by a more appealing name like, “multi-level marketing”, it is still as immoral as any corrupt practice around. The way these cons disguise their “business” is to present it as a consumable product. This is just as much a front as mobsters would front with a restaurant. Just as an illusionist distracts you with one hand while he pulls a coin from behind your ear with the other, these schemes will front a “consumable” product with one hand while they pull “coins” out of your wallet and off your dinner table. The true concept of a legitimate, practical and moral business is comprised of one main element - “trade”. Whether you buy my lawn mower for $100 dollars, you clean my house for my lawnmower or you trade your mower for my mower, it is all trade. When I buy a hamburger, I trade $3 for it. All aspect of moral and honest business have the reciprocal element. A reciprocal business ensures a “give and take” condition. When this element is absent, the immoral intent is present. When the business structure is centered on getting people to “buy” into the company with the ability then to make a percentage off of others that are convinced to “buy in”, it loses its “give and take” element. These recruiters disguised as “consultants” prove the absence of “give and take”. They never give anything to their victims while they are taking their money. Well, they do give hope. They give the hope that if you become a good “taker” there is a piece of the pie for you. Is it true that you can make money or even get rich? Absolutely! Well, that depends on if you are a good “taker”. Everyone that convinces someone to join becomes a “taker”. If you are good at getting people’s money from them, then you could be successful. Will everyone be successful? No. By design, the ability for the “takers” to get rich is to have a successful “taker” to “loser” ratio. The more people “give” the more the “takers” make. The most charismatic “takers” profit off of the gullible people at the bottom of the pyramid. There isn’t a moral “give and take” element to this business. Today’s “gold nugget” focuses not on the snakes that take from these gullible ones, but rather the people that “follow after these snakes”. “He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough.” The fear of suffering in our current economy has left people looking for something to make them money. The most disturbing aspect of all of this is the amount of people in the church adopting these immoral practices. The church’s acceptance of un-godly gain is heart breaking. Resorting to this type of behavior is an offense to God and will challenge Him to stir up His wrath. I don’t know about you, but I will “till my land and trust Him that I shall have plenty of bread”.

Prayer

Lord, I pray you will touch my brothers and sister that have fallen into this immorality. Please present them this truth and I pray they will repent before you and see you heal their land. Amen

If you are reading this devotional in an e-mail and would like to post a comment, click on this link http://proverbfortoday.org/