Practical Teaching About Money That We Lack

Education is a great thing, but sometimes I wonder if we’re being educated about the wrong things. 

 

For instance, during my college career I was required to take two science courses. Since I had already taken biology, for some reason I signed up for an introductory class in geology. The professor was a real snoozer, and to this day I can’t tell you the difference between a rock and a mineral. I also had to take Economics 101 but can’t recall a single fact or principle I was exposed to during that course.

 

Those disciplines obviously are of great value for future geologists and would-be economists, but for me as an aspiring journalist they were of no use at all. The English and journalism classes I took were most valuable, but I wish that among the prerequisites for graduation there had been instruction in practical life skills. Like how to handle your personal finances.

 

When I read about college athletes still in their teens signing multi-million-dollar contracts to play professional sports, I have mixed feelings. They’re entitled to earn a substantial income by using their athletic skills and expertise – but what does a teenager or even young 20-something know about how to handle money? Especially a lot of it? They certainly don’t learn about that in college.

 

College students would benefit greatly from instruction about basic things like handling a checking account, properly using credit cards, developing a consistent savings plan, and even understanding the essentials of investments.

 

In my case, after graduation my financial naivete resulted in accumulating a significant amount of credit card debt. After being ‘awarded’ my first credit card, I thought I had it made, being able to buy whatever I wanted. I didn’t need cash. I knew nothing about how interest on credit cards accrues. Or that those items I bought “on sale” would ultimately cost me twice as much or more.

 

It was years later that I realized the oppressive power of debt. My greatest teacher on personal money management became the Bible. One lesson I wished I had learned earlier was, “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7). Irresponsible indebtedness, of which I was guilty, not only left me with bills I struggled to pay, but also severely restricted my ability to purchase things I needed. Long before I bought my first house, I was mortgaging my future.

 

I also knew little about the value and importance of saving money. Like many folks, I was living from paycheck to paycheck with little thought of saving for future needs and unexpected expenses. Years later I discovered the wisdom of setting aside a small portion of my income. A Christian financial advisor showed me that “…he who gathers money little by little makes it grow” (Proverbs 13:11).

 

While I was a newspaper editor and publisher, I made the mistake of cosigning on a loan for a staff person. I won’t get into the details, but it was a step I unwisely thought I had to take at the time. Later I learned the biblical warnings against accepting responsibility for another person’s debt: “Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts; if you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you” (Proverbs 22:26-27).

 

The potentially adverse consequences of cosigning are so great, several other passages in Proverbs address it. For instance, Proverbs 11:15 cautions that “He who puts up security for another will surely suffer, but whoever refuses to strike hands in pledge is safe.”

 

Proverbs 6:1-4 is even more direct: “My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge for another…. Go and humble yourself…. Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.” Eventually I was able to extricate myself from my surety obligations, but in the process had to endure a lot of unnecessary stress.

 

But the greatest lesson of all the Bible taught me was about financial stewardship and ownership. Like many people, my attitude had always been, ‘It’s my money. I can do whatever I want with it.’ Then I read this prayer of King David which puts wealth and possessions in proper perspective:

“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is Yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; You are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from You; You are the ruler of all things…” (1 Chronicles 29:11-12).

 

This taught me that ultimately, I own nothing. God entrusts us with money and material resources, but we’re to serve as managers or stewards, not owners. As such, we are responsible to the Lord for our financial decisions. 

 

Writing not only about material possessions but also spiritual wealth – “the secret things of God” – the apostle Paul wrote, “Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2).

 

If I had learned common sense stuff like this in college, I could have avoided many challenges and a lot of unneeded worry. But what collegiate textbooks didn’t teach me I did learn from the greatest book of all, the Word of God. As David wrote in another psalm, “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105).

Considering the Five Senses of Faith

Human behavioral experts have concluded that whenever we make important decisions, three factors are involved in the process: our mind, our emotions, and our will. We gather the information we need, let our emotions influence how we feel about making the decision, and then initiate our will in committing to move forward with whatever the decision might be.

 

This is especially true for spiritual matters. Determining to follow Jesus Christ, for example, is typically a three-step process of engaging the mind, responding with the heart (emotions), and then willfully deciding to take the necessary step of faith. However, my thinking about this changed a bit recently while reading a devotional entry by Charles H. Spurgeon, a highly regarded British preacher during the latter half of the 19^th century.

 

In his book, Morning by Morning: Meditations for Daily Living, Spurgeon observed, “Faith in the Scriptures is spoken of as pertaining to all the senses.” How he explained this was so interesting, I’ll quote it directly and then offer some comments. He said:

“It is hearing. ‘Hear Me, that your soul may live’ (Isaiah 55:3). One of the first performances of faith is hearing. We hear the voice of God, not with the outward ear alone, but with the inward ear. We hear it as God’s Word, and believe it to be so….

“Then our mind looks on the truth as it is presented to us…we understand and perceive its meaning. This is sight. ‘Unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation’ (Hebrews 9:28).

“We begin to admire it and find how fragrant it is; that is faith in its ‘smell’…. “All Your garments smell of myrrh, aloes, and cassia’ (Psalm 45:8). Then we appropriate…faith in its ‘touch.’ By faith the woman came behind and touched the hem of Christ’s garment (Luke 8:43-44), and by this we handle the things of the good word of life.

“Faith is equally the spirit’s ‘taste.’ ‘How sweet are Thy words to my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my lips’… [Psalm 119:103].”

 

Spurgeon didn’t say it quite this way, but expressed in today’s vernacular, we might conclude that Jesus passes the hearing test, the eye test, the sniff test, the touch test, and the taste test.

 

All five senses are referred to numerous times in the Bible, affirming that committing one’s life to Jesus Christ isn’t a blind leap of faith as some would suggest. For example, after the Israelites had fled from slavery in Egypt, they confronted the vast expanse of the Red Sea. Never fear, their leader Moses assured them: “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again” (Exodus 14:13). For them, believing was seeing.

 

After declaring, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved,” the apostle Paul observed, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (Romans 10:13-14). We come to faith in Christ when we respond to what we hear.

 

Paul also referred to the role the ‘spiritual sense of smell’ plays in one coming to faith: “For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life…” (2 Corinthians 2:15-16).

 

The Gospels give many accounts of Jesus Christ healing people’s maladies by a mere touch when they came to Him in faith. For example, a man afflicted with leprosy approached to Him and said, “‘Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.’ Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ He said. ‘Be clean!’ Immediately he was cured of his leprosy” (Matthew 8:3).

 

As for the sense of taste, this is referred to several times as well. King David wrote, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him” (Psalm 34:8). And the apostle Peter exhorted followers of Christ, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:2-3).

 

However, in teaching about how our spiritual senses can prompt us to respond to God, the Scriptures also caution against ignoring what we see, hear, smell, touch and taste.

 

The prophet Isaiah, after accepting God’s call to serve as His spokesman among arrogant, unyielding peoples, was told by the Lord, “Go and tell this people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding, be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’… Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed” (Isaiah 6:9-10).

 

We find a similar admonition in the New Testament, warning those who have ‘sampled’ God’s truth but then choose to reject it: “It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance…”(Hebrews 6:5).

In matters both temporal and eternal, there is a time when we must ‘come to our senses’ or ultimately face the consequences. 

The Comfort of Knowing Who’s Going to Win

With football season well underway, I can’t resist commenting on a trait many of us fans share. Even if we feel confident our team will win, don’t we feel uneasy as the game unfolds? That’s part of the fun, but also part of the frustration, watching anxiously and hoping for the desired outcome.

 

Have you ever had an occasion when your favorite team was playing a crucial game, but you couldn’t watch it on TV live? Maybe you’d been invited to a wedding and couldn’t think of a single valid excuse for not attending? (Who plans weddings that conflict with important games, right?) 

 

Maybe some old friends stopped by unexpectedly for a visit, and you realized how rude it would be to ignore them and watch the game? Or maybe you had to work while the game was on – there was no getting out of it. So, what did you do? If possible, you probably recorded the game for watching later.

When your obligation was fulfilled, you could hardly wait to get to the TV and watch the game from the start. But first, you couldn’t resist taking a peek at the final score to make sure your team came out on top. Comforted by knowing that victory was already in hand, you found your anxiety level considerably reduced, or even non-existent. Correct? After all, you already knew who was going to win.

 

Recently, I read about one avid fan who was required to attend a work meeting while his favorite team was playing against its archrival. Later he invited a friend at the meeting to watch the recording of the game with him, but he didn’t exhibit his usual crazed, fanatical self.

 

After a while, the friend asked why he wasn’t ranting and ranting at the game’s expected ups and downs. His response? “While we were in the meeting, one of the guys got a text about the game. My team stages a comeback in the fourth quarter to win. So why worry if I know we’re going to win?”

 

There’s an important spiritual parallel to this. Sometimes we look at the world around us and find ourselves fretting. ‘God, are you paying attention? Things are really messy here. Can’t you do something?’

 

In reality, the Lord already has done “something.” The most important something of all: “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). For all who have trusted in Jesus Christ and have been born again into God’s family, our sin problem has been remedied, once and for all, and our eternal future is secure.

 

Okay, but what about the course our society and the world are taking? It often seems God has been excluded totally from the equation. Isn’t that a good reason for fretting, maybe even gnashing our teeth? Just weeks from now an important election is coming up. What if the candidates we think should win don’t? Or looking at things on a more personal level, perhaps we’re facing some overwhelming challenges – health, relationships, finances, career. Aren’t those things worth worrying about?

 

We could easily justify our anxieties. But that’s where faith comes in. Not a blind, hope-so kind of faith but one that is unwavering, anchored in who God is and what He says. This is when knowing who’s ultimately going to win is so important. 

 

As the apostle Paul could boldly write to his protégé, Timothy, “…I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day [when he will stand victoriously before Christ in heaven]” (2 Timothy 1:12).

 

More than we can ever imagine, Paul endured hardships and suffering in many forms, yet because he could look forward with earnest expectation and confident assurance in the Lord’s promises, he didn’t fall victim to despair and hopelessness.

 

Jesus addressed this with His troubled, confused disciples near the end of His earthly ministry as they pondered His imminent departure: “I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). He was saying in effect, ‘Don’t be overwhelmed by worries and concern. The outcome of the game is already settled – and we win!’

 

The Scriptures offer similar assurances in many places, both the Old and New Testaments. But there’s none better than what Jesus declares in the final chapter of the last book in the Bible: “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with Me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 21:12-13).

Like watching a football game when it seems the momentum has shifted to the opposing team, it makes all the difference in the world if we know beyond the shadow of a doubt who will emerge victorious!   

Can We Really Trust the Veracity of Bible?

When you buy a new car – or a car that’s new-to-you – it usually comes with an owner’s manual, right? You probably don’t sit down and spend hours reading through it, unless you’re having trouble sleeping. But most likely you don’t question whether those guidelines and instructions from the manufacturer are accurate and justified.

 

Similarly, when was the last time you got an owner’s manual for anything – maybe a refrigerator or microwave, a TV, or a computer – and thought, “Who do they think they are to tell me how to set this up and operate it?” We don’t do this (unless we’re naturally defiant) because we trust the manufacturer has determined the correct specifications and how to get the maximum benefit from using whatever it is.

 

Would you be surprised to know that the Bible is God’s “owner’s manual” for our everyday lives? Some people view the Scriptures as a collection of “do’s” and “don’ts.” Isn’t that what the 10 Commandments are all about – ‘thou shalt this’ and ‘thou shalt not that’? They couldn’t be more wrong. In reality, the Scriptures are God’s perfect way to provide us with principles and instructions for how to enjoy the most fruitful, most fulfilling lives possible.

Speaking to His followers, Jesus Christ said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). Another translation phrases it “the abundant life.” Who doesn’t want an abundant life? Jesus says we can experience this by following the guidelines set forth in His Word.

 

Writing to his protégé, Timothy, on how to live a godly life, the apostle Paul declared, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. So that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Read this again, especially the words teaching, rebuking, correcting and training.

 

When many of us have started new jobs, one of the first things we received was a job description on what the job entailed, what our responsibilities were, and how we were to carry them out. Paul was reminding Timothy that the Scriptures can serve as God’s ‘job description’ for us – teaching us about Himself and ourselves; rebuking us when we’ve gotten off track; correcting us when some changes are needed; and training us in what righteous, holy living should look like.

 

We have much we can use to prove the authenticity and veracity of the Bible. There’s an ever-growing collection of historical, scientific and prophetic evidence to demonstrate this. Archaeology in many ways has located and confirmed sites described in the Bible. It also has uncovered many historical records that validate biblical accounts and timelines about people and events. Hundreds of Old Testament prophecies have proved true, including more than 300 Messianic predictions that Jesus fulfilled.

 

But the greatest proof of all is when we learn and apply the truths and principles God gives to us through His Word. When we do, we come to the realization, “This works!”

 

Whenever we try to do something by following the accompanying manual and we succeed, isn’t that gratifying? Not being mechanical at all, I was amazed when we bought a piece of do-it-yourself furniture and the step-by-step instructions were simple to follow – and they worked. I’ve found it’s the same way when we trust what God teaches in His Word.

 

In the process of learning and living out biblical truths and principles, we are introduced to timeless guidelines for marriage, raising children, handling finances, building a successful career, and enjoying a rewarding life. Most important of all, we discover what it means to have a personal, growing relationship with God through Christ. 

 

As His followers, we become what some might describe as “satisfied customers.” Having learned through first-hand experience that what the Bible teaches is true, we gain the desire to help others find that out for themselves as well. Encountering Good News, it’s only fitting to want to share it with others. 

 

After the despised Samaritan woman met Jesus at the well and discovered from their conversation that He was the promised Messiah, she couldn’t keep the news to herself. “Many of the Samaritans from (her) town believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I ever did’” (John 4:39).

As Jesus said, “If you continue in My word, you really are My disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). In a world in which truth is becoming harder and harder to discern and is often under attack, the Scriptures are the one unchanging, unfailing source of truth. Not only for today, but for all of eternity! 

The Kinds of People God Chooses to Use

Two months from today, millions will stream to the polls and vote in another important General Election. (Unless they’ve already opted for early voting to beat the rush.) One of the most cherished rights of our democratic republic is being able to vote, to collectively choose who will be representing us at the various levels of government. The Presidential race will command the most attention, but many other important offices also will be at stake. 

 

Conscientious voting can be challenging, choosing which candidates are most qualified. Alas, sometimes we look at the candidates and shrug our shoulders in resignation, concluding there’s not much to choose from. If only God would reveal which one’s the best.

 

Many factors can enter into voting decisions, two of them being the specific individuals seeking to be elected, and the policies they espouse. For many of us, character is an important criterion. We would like to be able to choose individuals of great integrity, unquestioned moral conviction and behavior, not tempted by greed and personal interests, and other admirable qualities.

 

Unfortunately, maybe because traditional and social media are so adept at beaming harsh lights on transgressions major and minor, it seems people possessing the traits listed above are harder and harder to find. 

 

For this reason, rather than holding their noses while casting their ballots, some eligible voters will opt not to vote at all. That’s their choice. Voting is a right, not a requirement. But in reading the Scriptures, I’ve discovered that if we’re searching for leaders demonstrating sterling character and flawless perfection, it’s a very short list. A list of one: Jesus Christ.

 

Everyone else in the Bible, even those celebrated as heroes of the faith, possessed more warts than some toads. It’s amazing to consider the kinds of people God has used in the past to accomplish His purposes. A comprehensive list could fill a hefty book. So, we’ll just look at a handful of the misfits the Lord selected to lead and intervene on behalf of His chosen people.

 

Speaking of God’s chosen people, we’ll start with Jacob, who was later renamed Israel. He became the namesake for the ancient Israelites, their descendants being referred to as God’s “chosen people” to this day. This was despite the fact he was remarkably short on scruples.

 

His given name, Jacob, can be translated “to supplant or overreach,” which is exactly what he did in scheming to steal his brother Esau’s birthright. Then he compounded the deed, deceiving Isaac, his nearly blind father, to snatch the patriarch’s special blessing from Esau. Double whammy! You can find this account in Genesis 27-28. Nevertheless, God used him.

 

Then there was strong man Samson, one of history’s first superheroes. His story is recorded in Judges 13-16. We’re told, “…the boy is to be a Nazirite, set apart to God from birth, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines” (Judges 13:5). On several occasions “…the Spirit of the Lord came upon him with power” (Judges 14:19) and Samson performed great feats of courage and strength.

 

Unfortunately, he had an eye for the ladies, including one seductress named Delilah. The rulers of the Philistines bribed her to find out the source of Samson’s strength. After several attempts, he confided in her the promise God had made. As a result, the Philistines were able to subdue him, gouging out his eyes and throwing him into prison. But Samson had the last laugh so to speak, literally bringing the house down by toppling the central pillars of their pagan temple, killing everyone in it including himself.

 

King David was described by God as “a man with a heart after My own heart” (Acts 13:22). That sounds good, right? And yet, as we read starting in 1 Samuel 16 through the opening chapters of 1 Kings, he was an adulterer, a murderer, and the head of perhaps the most dysfunctional family in history. How could the Lord use a person like that?

 

The key was that when confronted by his sins, David was genuinely repentant, humbly acknowledging his wrongdoing without making excuses. God not only used him to reign over the Israelites but also to author many of the Psalms. In one of his penitential psalms, David wrote:

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me” (Psalm 51:10-12).

 

We could cite many others with major flaws and shortcomings, such as Moses, King Solomon, and the apostles Peter, Paul, James, John and Thomas. But the point is simple: If God chooses, He can and will use anyone and anything to accomplish His divine purposes. As Proverbs 16:4 states, “The Lord works out everything for His own ends – even the wicked for a day of disaster” (Proverbs 16:4).

 

As election day nears, as we weigh both character and where candidates stand on important issues, we all will be hoping to see our favorites receive the most votes. However, our confidence should be anchored in God alone. 

From the book of Proverbs, we have these assurances that ultimately, God is in control: “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21). “There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord” (Proverbs 21:30). This should give us unwavering hope. 

Celebrating Work, an Integral Part of Everyday Life

There are those among us who regard work merely as ‘a necessary evil.’ They live for being able to declare, “TGIF! – Thank Goodness It’s Friday!” But from its beginning, work has been an integral part of American life and culture. It’s fitting that every year our nation designates September’s first Monday as Labor Day.

 

To some folks, Labor Day is simply the last holiday before the beginning of the school year and the long slog through autumn until Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. But Labor Day should also be a time for recognizing the efforts – the blood, sweat and tears – of countless millions who labored in steel mills, coal mines, factories, and shops; drove trucks, laid railroad tracks, built highways, designed and made clothing, and developed new technological innovations. The list could go on and on.

The significance of work has been put to melody and song in many ways, some positive and some not. Consider just a sampling of labor-related hit tunes from years past:

“Working 9 to 5” by Dolly Parton; “Chain Gang” by Sam Cooke; “Takin’ Care of Business” by Bachman-Turner Overdrive; “Workin’ For a Livin’” by Huey Lewis and the News; “Take This Job and Shove It” by Johnny Paycheck; “Sixteen Tons” by Tennessee Ernie Ford; “A Hard Day’s Night” by the Beatles.

 

Work has such universal value that it was the subject of not one, but two songs in the animated Walt Disney classic, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” Many of us can still happily recall “Heigh-Ho” and “Whistle While You Work.” Snow White and her little friends were an industrious lot.

 

In more ways than we could count, we’ve all benefited from work. But work wasn’t a concept conjured up by some caveman who stumbled across the possibility of making a fire or fashioning a primitive wheel. It wasn’t thought up by the many “captains of industry.” It was God’s idea from the start, as we see in the opening chapter of the Bible’s first book.

 

After creating humankind in His own image, “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves on the ground…. I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food…’” (Genesis 1:27-30).

 

But God didn’t create work as a burden or a punishment. He originally designed it as part of his purpose for humanity. Some theologians have termed it the “cultural mandate” – to serve as keepers or stewards of His creation. We also see this in the New Testament, where the apostle Paul declared, “For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:9)

 

Imagine being given the honor of being “fellow workers” with God?

 

Along with this amazing privilege comes great responsibility. Work is an obligation and a necessity as well. In this post-pandemic age when it seems fewer and fewer are motivated to work and seem to have figured out ways not to, the Bible offers numerous admonitions about the importance and intrinsic value of honest labor.

 

Writing to Christ followers in the ancient city of Thessalonica, the apostle Paul apparently was addressing a problem with people who had an aversion to work. That, he stated, could not be tolerated: “For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

 

As an aside, this phrase was even incorporated into early Communist and socialist writings. Russian leader Vladimir Lenin wrote in his 1917 work, The State and Revolution, that “he who does not work shall not eat” was an essential principle under socialism. Somehow, it seems, the gravity of that conviction has been lost in contemporary thinking, socialist or otherwise.

 

The Bible, of course, does not endorse such ideologies, promoting instead the virtues of hard work and personal initiative. Proverbs 15:19 puts it this way, “The way of the sluggard is blocked with thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway.” Looking at this from a little different angle, Proverbs 16:26 observes, “The laborer’s appetite works for him; his hunger drives him on.”

 

Even nature affirms this reality. State and national parks feature signs that read, “Don’t feed the bears” and “Don’t feed the animals.” Left alone, these creatures are perfectly able to find food by themselves. Feeding them disrupts this natural instinct, making them lazy and dependent.

Bottom line: As we observe this Labor Day, most of us treating it as a ‘lazy day’ – a much-needed break from our jobs – let’s pause to appreciate the benefits and values we can derive from a hard day’s work, in whatever form it takes.