by Steve Jones
Monday, January 19, 2026
A meme that has been circulating for a few years accurately demonstrates the problem of inflation and fiat currency.
The meme states that in 1963, the federal minimum wage was $1.25 per hour, which equaled five 90% silver quarters.
The point of the meme is that if the minimum wage had maintained its value in sound currency (silver) instead of devaluing due to inflation of the fiat currency, it would be significantly higher today.
Inflation is a problem in our country and the world. I doubt I need to cite statistics to prove that to anyone reading this article. It is self-evident. Inflation is an artificial expansion of the money supply. The government has increased the money supply by hundreds of percent just since 2020. Inflation is a thief, stealing our earnings and corrupting our society.
In his book THE CASE AGAINST THE FED, Murray Rothbard argues that every monetary expansion constitutes a form of legalized counterfeiting that “robs all holders of money,” redistributing wealth from savers and producers to those nearest the new money’s points of entry. Prices adjust unevenly because new money does not enter all pockets at once. It flows—first to borrowers, banks, and state contractors—before dispersing through the broader economy. This creates a “Cantillon effect”: new money changes prices, which beget other changes from injection points; inflation benefits those who receive new money first and penalizes those who receive it last.
With the Fed now signaling an end to quantitative tightening (QT) and a return to quantitative easing (QE), things are going to get worse. Many believe that with the world debt approaching 338 trillion dollars, some kind of financial RESET is at hand. And since the world currency is denominated in dollars, this will be a GLOBAL reset. What that will look like is anybody’s guess, and there are plenty of guesses circulating. Whatever happens, it won’t be pretty.
How can God’s people prepare themselves as GOOD STEWARDS? How can God’s people POSITION themselves to be of some help to their families, friends, and churches in a possible economic disruption of Biblical proportions? One way might be to invest in and hold “God’s Money” - gold and silver.
There are more than 700 references to these two precious metals in the Bible. According to Joel Bauman, when examining scripture, a reader can draw three critical characteristics about gold and silver: their divine origin, intrinsic value, and monetary quality.
DIVINE ORIGIN
The Bible says God created the world and the elements within it. Gold is depicted as an asset of value.
“’ The silver is mine, and the gold is mine’ declares the Lord Almighty” (Haggai 2:8).
Gold and silver are products of God – they are not creations of man. God designed them to be intrinsically valuable and beautiful, for gold does not tarnish nor corrode. It can be hammered so thin that a single ounce can spread over a 100 sq. ft. area. Silver is the best conductor of heat and electricity. It reflects light better than any other metal, and when fully refined, it looks like a mirror.
INTRINSIC VALUE
These unique properties of gold and silver have served as benchmarks of value throughout scripture. One notable reference is a metaphor used by the Apostle Paul. “If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work” (1 Corinthians 3:12-13). In this passage, Paul highlights gold and silver’s ability to withstand fire. Precious metals are not only unharmed when tested by fire, but they also become refined and pure. This verse is a powerful comparison between a man’s good work on the foundation of Christ and the qualities of gold and silver.
MONETARY QUALITY
In the Bible, gold and silver are synonymous with money. In Hebrew, there was no word for money. Every Biblical passage that refers to “money” is a unit of weight in gold, silver, or another metal. Silver was used for day-to-day purchases, and gold was viewed as approximately twentyfold the value of silver. It is worth noting that when the United States operated on the Gold Standard, an ounce of silver was worth about $1, and an ounce of gold was worth approximately $20.
Gold and silver were used as money not only in Jewish culture but throughout all cultures. Regardless of man’s location on earth, gold and silver are both accessible and valued as wealth. A believer could easily make the conclusion that God placed gold and silver strategically throughout the world. By doing this, all nations throughout history have enjoyed the utility of gold and silver as money.
In the last century, the world has removed gold and silver from its monetary role. By ignoring the use of gold and silver as money, central banks have created large economic imbalances. Every day, currencies fluctuate in value because of manipulative monetary policies. When central banks expand their balance sheets, artificial wealth is created. Monetary inflation and low interest rates enrich the wealthy, while the poor and middle-class are robbed of their labor and savings.
The Bible says God hates deceit and manipulation. God is the author of balance and justice. “The Lord detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor with him” (Proverbs 11:1).
God created gold and silver as the backbone of economic growth. Precious metals act as a balance and a perfect unit of measure. When God created the world, he set fixed quantities for each metal, so we do not experience runaway inflation or deflation.
God is the creator of gold and silver; they are valuable, and they serve as money. This last viewpoint has been forgotten. The Gold Standard was abolished in 1933, and buying gold was unlawful in the United States from 1933 to 1975. Fortunately, we have the freedom to buy gold and silver and create our own personal gold standard.
God has called us to be good stewards of the resources with which we have been entrusted. He created a stable and predictable way to build wealth and protect our savings from equity investment losses, asset bubbles, global economic crisis, and currency debasement (inflation).
Many believe we are now witnessing the beginning of the end of the world’s fiat monetary system, and only those who return to honest money will be protected and prosper from the largest financial upheaval in history. Gold has outperformed the stock market for the last 30 years. Since 2000, Gold has beaten the S&P 500, with gold growing nearly 10x versus the S&P's 4.34x, showing gold more than doubled stock returns in that time. If there IS some kind of monetary reset in the not-too-distant future, gold might play an important role. Since 1926, the standard investment portfolio advice has been 60% stocks and 40% bonds. However, in September of 2025, Morgan Stanley began advocating for a 60/20/20 portfolio of 60% stocks, 20% bonds, and 20% gold. This represents a SEA CHANGE from the last one hundred years of financial planning/advice. Don’t you agree that might be a red flag?
Now for the disclaimer. I do not sell gold. I am not a financial advisor. I am not offering financial or investment advice. I am not qualified to do so, and it might be illegal/unethical if I did. I do not have a dog in your financial fight other than agape love - intelligent goodwill for your best interest. I’m just a preacher. You should take all the above with a big grain of salt. But to see a crisis coming and not sound a warning would be irresponsible (Ezekiel 33).
Yes, the Bible warns against trusting in material wealth, including gold and silver, while not being “rich toward God.” Amen. I wholeheartedly agree. Does that mean that you, dear reader, have no savings, investments, IRA, 401K, stocks, bonds, real estate, etc.? Maybe, for some, but for most, I doubt it. I simply believe that we will all be better off in the future financial crises if we have “diversified” our portfolios into “God’s money.”
“A wise man saves for the future” (Proverbs 21:20).
We live in the light of Christ’s wondrous rescue mission.
As Christians, we can learn a lot from football players about the concept of playing hurt.
We have been conditioned to believe we can have it our way, right away.
7133 Central Parke Blvd.,
