The Witch

And Her Bank Roll

In 1916 at the age of twenty one, Hetty Robinson inherited 7.5 million dollars and with an astute mind for numbers and money she turned those few millions into 100 million dollars (In today’s dollars that would equal about 17 billion).  Hetty was known for her extreme stinginess and eccentricities.  She married at the age of 33 and took the name Hetty Green.  She became a big investor in the New York Stock Market and frequented the offices in her worn, long black dresses.  Because of this she came to be called the Witch on Wall Street.  Mrs. Green followed the Quaker religion until she was 76 at which time she was baptized into the Episcopal Church so that she could be buried in the grave yard of her choice. 

Hetty Green died at the age of 82 and left her $100 million fortune to her two children, Ned and Sylvia.  It is said that Ned squandered his inheritance on himself and extravagant living.  His sister made wise use of her portion and generously gave millions to scores of churches and several hospitals.

Do you know how much of Hetty Green’s wealth she actually left behind when she died?  All of it!  Sadly, she knew much about accumulating money but nothing about the unchanging financial principles recorded in Scripture.  Regardless of how little we have or how much we leave behind, we are all held to God’s standards of stewardship.  It is by these standards we will be judged.

Are you familiar with God’s principles on finances?  Here are four for you to consider.

          1) Stewardship vs. Ownership   (Mark 6:36-37)

           2) Values vs. Accumulations   (Matthew 6:33)

           3) Contentment vs. Covetousness   (I Timothy 6:6-10)

           4) Generosity vs. Stinginess   (Proverbs 11:24-25)

What are you doing with what God has entrusted you?  What changes would He have you make in view of His unchanging principles?