So I'm watching "The Wolf of Wall Street".

So I'm watching "The Wolf of Wall Street". It's about Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) who in 1987 takes an entry-level job at a Wall Street brokerage firm. By the early 1990s, while still in his 20s, Belfort founds his own firm, Stratton Oakmont. Together with his trusted lieutenant (Jonah Hill) and a merry band of brokers, Belfort makes a huge fortune by defrauding wealthy investors out of millions.  It's pretty horrible. I can't believe that this really happened. So I decided to see what the scripture of the day was on YouVersion.^{Courtesy IMDB}

I actually stopped watching the movie to do a little Bible study; I’ll definitely finish it later. I’ve never done the exact things that Belfort does in this movie but I do fall short so I wanted to examine my heart after reading YouVersion’s scripture of the day and I deemed it quite ironic how it seems to speak against the theme of this movie.

1. Acts 20:33-35 is the scripture of the day and it says this:
1. "I've never, as you so well know, had any taste for wealth or fashion. With these bare hands I took care of my own basic needs and those who worked with me. In everything I've done, I have demonstrated to you how necessary it is to work on behalf of the weak and not exploit them. You'll not likely go wrong here if you keep remembering that our Master said, 'You're far happier giving than getting.'" 
2. You’re More Blessed to Give than to Receive
1. Taste for wealth or fashion
1. Matthew 6:19-21
1. "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
1. I love fashion. It's one of many things that I spend my money on.
2. DiCaprio's character brags about his $2000 suit.
3. Paul doesn't say wealth or fashion are bad, just that he doesn't have a taste for it.
2. Care of personal basic needs
1. Taking care of yourself is important and spiritual.
1. 1 Cor 3:16
1. Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?
2. Romans 12:1
3. I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
2. Taking care of yourself just as important as taking care of others. 
1. Philippians 2:4
1. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
3. Care of personal needs of coworkers
1. 1 John 3:17-18
1. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
2. Galatians 6:9-10
1. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
4. Work on behalf of the weak without exploiting them
1. Ephesians 4:28
1. The one who steals must steal no longer; rather he must labor, doing good with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with the one who has need.

Though Belfort’s actions so far are quite reprehensible, his character does raise a good point in that how can you give if you are poor; if you have nothing to give, then are you stuck on the lesser side of the blessing? In DiCaprio's opening monologue, he says:

See money doesn't just buy you a better life, better food, better cars, better [expletive deleted], it also makes you a better person. You can give generously to the church or the political party of your choice. You can save the [expletive deleted] spotted owl with money.

The only problem is that Belfort wasn’t being a better person. He was doing the opposite of what Paul advises in the aforementioned scripture. He was exploiting everyone: his friends, women, investors, etc. His illegally hedonistic lifestyle was very damaging to his health and wellbeing. He encouraged others to partake in the same damaging lifestyle. I can’t believe that this is based on a true story…I wonder how it will end.