Chasing Golden Eggs
Often, we only need to look at children’s stories to find solid biblical financial advice. For example, Aesop’s Fables “The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs.” This story strongly suggests that greed can overtake our senses, ruining our lives. Little do we realize that in our effort to seek money and wealth, we may be destroying the very source of our prosperity. We will explore this concept in more depth below. First, let’s be reminded of Aesop’s fable “The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs.”
AESOP’S FABLES
THE GOOSE THAT LAID THE GOLDEN EGGS
By Nicky Grischotti
There once was a very poor farmer. So poor he lived in an old tumble-down pigsty in the middle of nowhere with only acorns and the odd goose egg to eat and a bale of straw for his bed. His name was Attacus Greeb. Now Attacus Greeb hadn’t always been poor. He’d inherited a large and prosperous farm from his father, and he’d owned land as far as the eye could see. But Attacus Greeb was a lazy man. He didn’t like work. 'I'm far too good to be milking cows,' he said. 'I should be Lord of the Manor with servants and footmen…and heaps of silver and gold.' So, over the years, instead of working for a living, he'd simply sold off his possessions. He'd sold almost everything his father had given him - his house, his land, his horses, his pigs, his cattle, and all he was left with was one single goose who lived with him. 'Oh, what is to become of me?' wailed Attacus late one night. 'I have no house, no food, no money, and nothing left to sell…I shall surely starve!' And then he looked at his goose. 'It's no good honking at me, goosey, it's off with you to the market tomorrow – you haven't laid an egg in weeks, and your feathers will fetch me a fair few guineas.' And off he went to sleep. The next morning, Attacus Greeb awoke to a glittering dawn. It was so light and bright he had to shield his eyes. But it wasn't the sunlight shining; he could hardly believe what he saw. It was a gigantic, glorious…Golden Egg! 'You clever girl! Ha! Ha! Ho! Ho! We'll be rich! Rich beyond our dreams!' So off he went to market pushing the egg in an old wheelbarrow… and back he came with a barrowful of meat to cook, chicken feed for his goose, and a huge bag of coins.
'Oh, how I wish I had money to buy a horse-drawn carriage,' he said, patting his full tummy that night. 'That's what I need to be happy.' Well, the very next morning, the same thing happened…there was another shiny golden egg lying beside the goose. So off went Attacus to market, and with the money he got, he bought a smart black carriage and six sleek horses. And every day the same thing happened, and every day Attacus Greeb counted his money and wished for more. But as fast as the little goose could lay a golden egg Attacus Greeb wanted more. 'Why can't you lay more eggs each day? We need more; we need more, I say!' Soon the farmer became a very rich man indeed – but as he grew rich, he grew greedy – and still he wanted more. And then he had an idea. 'How I wish I could have all the golden eggs at once,' he thought, 'instead of just one a day. Then I would surely be happy.
So, the next morning, he ordered his cook to kill the goose and open it up so he could take out all the eggs at once – but, of course, to his horror, there was nothing inside the poor goose…and there would be no golden eggs again. And Attacus Greeb ended up back in his tumble-down pigsty - just where he belonged! Those who have plenty want more and so lose all they have.
The Bible consistently teaches about faithfulness, patience, and stewardship, rather than quick gain. In the Book of Proverbs, we learn that “Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it” (Proverbs 13:11). We also see in the Gospel of Luke that “One who is faithful in very little is also faithful in much” (Luke 16:10). Finally, in the Gospel of Matthew, the Parable of the Talents reminds us that we should be trusted as faithful stewards in managing God’s resources, regardless of their size.
Let's examine another parable in Luke 16:1-14, often called the “Parable of the Unfaithful Steward.” This story is often misunderstood. Why would the master praise his steward, who was caught stealing from him? That doesn’t seem logical. At first, we might think the steward "killed the golden goose," but in reality, the master was not praising him for stealing more by reducing the debtors' bills. Instead, he praised his cleverness in managing resources wisely to prepare for the future. The main lesson is that we should use our God-given resources and gifts to get ready for eternity, rather than just accumulating treasures here on earth. Matthew 6:19-21 illustrates this point more clearly.
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Are you destroying the “Goose” by constantly chasing after more golden eggs to satisfy your worldly desires? We need to realize that we are the golden goose. God has given each of us unique talents to serve Him. By conforming to the secular world, we not only show a lack of faith in His plan for us but also neglect to be good stewards of God’s resources, focusing more on the present than on our eternal future. Naturally, we need to care for our family, and God expects that. However, ask yourself, how much is enough? At what point do we have all that is necessary for our needs, and more is simply consumed for our worldly desires instead of advancing the Kingdom of God? Remember, God can take a little and multiply it immensely more than we can imagine. As Christians, we should have only one goal: seek first the kingdom of God. With a focus on God, worldly desires diminish.
Your faithful steward
