22/05/2026
THE UNTOLD STORIES, MAYBE YOU DON'T KNOW (THE CHURCH TOO HAS FAILED).
Before money existed, humanity survived through exchange. Farmers traded food for animals, fishermen traded fish for tools, and communities depended on barter systems to survive. But barter had limitations because not everyone always wanted what another person offered. This difficulty pushed civilizations to search for something universally accepted as valuable.
As societies grew, different forms of money began to appear. Some civilizations used salt, cowrie shells, beads, livestock, silver, and gold as mediums of exchange. In many parts of Africa, cowrie shells became an important trading currency for generations.
Around 600 BC, one of the first official coin systems emerged in Lydia. Kings began stamping metals with official markings so people could trust their value during trade. This changed commerce forever because trade became easier, faster, and more organized.
Later, China introduced some of the earliest forms of paper money. Merchants no longer needed to carry heavy bags of coins across long distances. Human civilization slowly moved from barter to coins, from coins to paper notes, and now from paper to digital transactions.
Money itself was never the true problem. The real issue has always been knowledge. Throughout history, those who understood money systems often gained influence, while those without knowledge struggled to keep up with changing economies.
Many people today work hard every day, yet still remain financially trapped. Hard work alone is sometimes not enough without financial understanding. A person can earn money and still lose everything through poor decisions, lack of planning, or financial ignorance.
One painful reality is that many school systems teach students how to pass examinations but rarely teach them how to manage money, understand debt, build businesses, or create long-term financial stability.
Young people can spend over a decade in school learning subjects they may never use directly, yet graduate without understanding budgeting, investment, taxes, saving culture, or wealth creation.
This lack of financial literacy affects entire communities. Many families struggle not only because opportunities are absent, but because financial education itself is missing from daily life.
In many homes, children grow up hearing warnings about poverty but receive little teaching about ownership, investment, or economic planning. Fear often replaces financial strategy.
Some communities even discourage open conversations about money. People may discuss entertainment and gossip freely, but discussions about wealth creation, financial discipline, and investment are sometimes viewed negatively.
At the same time, wealthy families often teach their children about land ownership, business systems, negotiation, savings, and long-term planning from a young age. Knowledge becomes an inheritance passed from one generation to another.
The Bible itself contains many lessons connected to economics, stewardship, and responsible management. Financial wisdom is not separated from life realities.
In Genesis, Joseph managed food reserves wisely during years of abundance to prepare for years of famine. His wisdom protected nations from disaster.
Even Jesus Christ frequently used examples involving farming, wages, debt, investment, and stewardship to explain deeper truths about responsibility and human behavior.
One of the strongest examples is the parable of the talents in Matthew chapter 25. A master entrusted different amounts of talents to his servants before leaving on a journey.
The servants who multiplied their talents were praised because they increased what was placed in their hands. The servant who buried his talent out of fear lost even what he had.
Many people today misunderstand the word “talent” in this parable. In ancient times, a talent was not a small coin. It represented enormous wealth, often measured in gold or silver.
Some historians estimate that one biblical talent could equal hundreds of thousands or even millions in today’s value depending on the metal and historical period involved.
This means the parable was not describing small pocket change. It was describing massive responsibility, trust, and stewardship.
The deeper lesson is powerful. The master did not reward fear or inactivity. He rewarded wisdom, responsibility, and multiplication.
The parable also reflects modern life. Those who understand systems, opportunities, and financial discipline often multiply resources over time, even if they begin with very little.
Meanwhile, people without knowledge may receive opportunities yet fail to sustain them because they were never taught how to manage growth.
Financial literacy is not about greed or worshipping money. It is about understanding how to survive wisely in a world controlled heavily by economic systems.
Debt has quietly destroyed many families because people entered financial agreements they did not fully understand. Interest, pressure, and poor planning can trap generations.
Social pressure also damages financial stability. Many people spend money trying to appear successful while secretly struggling financially behind closed doors.
True financial growth is usually quiet. It often involves patience, sacrifice, consistency, learning, and discipline over many years.
Africa itself has a deep history connected to wealth and trade. Ancient African kingdoms traded gold, salt, ivory, and other valuable resources across powerful trade networks.
The Mali Empire became globally known for wealth, especially during the reign of Mansa Musa, whose riches became legendary throughout parts of the world.
This history reminds us that economic understanding and resource management have always shaped civilizations and influenced global power.
Unfortunately, many people today inherit survival struggles without inheriting financial education. Generations continue repeating cycles simply because critical knowledge was never passed down.
But times are changing. Through books, technology, farming, business, online education, and personal study, more people are beginning to seek financial understanding for themselves.
Knowledge alone will not instantly create wealth, but ignorance almost always creates vulnerability. Understanding money systems helps people make wiser decisions for themselves and their families.
The lesson from history is clear: money has always followed knowledge, organization, discipline, and stewardship. Civilizations that understood these principles often grew stronger over time.
Perhaps one of the greatest modern challenges is not merely earning money, but learning how to manage, protect, multiply, and use it wisely for future generations.
Bro. Prince tabiri ( the preacher)
