What I mean is that you can take some Scripture verses about money, look at the opposite implication, and find some interesting truths. (My editor insists this is really looking at the corollary truths in a Scripture verse rather than reading Scripture backward. He's right, of course, but try to turn that into a catchy headline.)
Take Exodus 22:25, for example. It says, "If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him."
In this verse, God is speaking to the person who lends money to the poor. The obvious interpretation is that God doesn't want His people getting rich at the expense of the poor (especially those who are His children). And gaining interest on your money is a powerful way to get rich over time. There's no secret in that.
But let's look at this verse backward. Instead of focusing on the moneylender, let's look at the poor person. While God isn't speaking directly to the "financially challenged" here, we can reverse the focus and gain considerable wisdom. The implication is that if you want to become wealthier than you are right now, don't borrow money where you have to pay interest charges.
If you borrow money, it essentially transfers your wealth to the person who lends you the money (not to mention control over your life -- Prov. 22:7). God warns the moneylender here because it's easy to charge a lot of interest to the poor. They're often poor because they have bad money-handling habits and they may become desperate for money. Many will do almost anything to get it.
In our culture, the most accessible loans to the poor are the ones with the highest interest rates. The worst are car title loans and credit cards. Car title loans often charge interest rates as high as 25% per month -- 300% per year -- and take your car if you don't pay up.
Credit cards, which are a far more common problem, now charge over 20% interest on unpaid balances.
By simply avoiding these easy-to-get loans (or paying them off quickly if you already have them), you can effectively save up to 20% or more of your money right out of the gate.
And, better yet, you still have your money to grow for future wealth.
