Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Deuteronomy 11:18-19
“If we do not prepare our children to handle money well – and with a biblical perspective – we have not prepared them for the future. Because of the homes pioneer parents grew up in, we may not have been taught the biblical worldview regarding money and possessions. But for the sake of our children and their future, it’s essential that we learn godly money management…
Money encompasses so much of a young adult’s life. Before we release one of our children from the nest, we need to teach them these lessons:
– God owns it all, so hold things and money loosely. They don’t really belong to you.
– God is faithful and will provide for your needs.
– You can learn the secret of contentment.
– Someday you will give an account of your life, including how you spent the money God entrusted to you. Live in such a way that you will hear God say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:23).
– Set aside the first portion of your income for God. Be willing to give, even when it means you’ll have to do without some things.
– Budgeting is your best friend.
– Financial decisions made in haste will haunt you later. And remember: There is no such thing as “get rich quick.”
– Honesty and integrity in your work are always preferable to cheating or lying to advance.
– Put aside savings for emergencies.
– Learning to trust God in finances takes a lifetime.
– You will balance a checkbook before you leave this house!
– Borrowing money makes you a slave to the lender. Avoid it, if possible.”
Mary DeMuth in Building the Christian Family You Never Had: A Practical Guide for Pioneer Parents (Colorado Springs: WaterBrook, 2006) 171-172.
I don’t know how the elections for officials in the USA will go today, but I know this about our society. Many don’t know prudent, biblical counsel for handling large sums of money because their parents did not teach them how to handle small sums of money.
In my online reading, I came across this book and appreciate DeMuth’s advice for “pioneer parents,” that is, parents who grew up with teachings from society rather than teachings from Scripture: “for the sake of our children and their future, it’s essential that we learn godly money management.” Did you catch that? If your parents did not teach you about godly money management, you are the one who must learn so you can model faithful and obedient patterns for your children.
Apparently the LORD thinks I need to work on my relationship with things. I lost my iPhone yesterday in a field while pheasant hunting in North Dakota near the end of the first field, and I could not stop thinking about it. My host, John, offered me a free phone, while my other host Shawn, offered to go back tomorrow to look for it, and my family is willing to help activate the “Find My iPhone” function. Will we find it? Who knows? I don’t think it matters. What I learned through this crisis is that friends and family are more valuable than the best phone money can buy!
Many are praying for God’s mercy on our nation during these troubling times. I am among them. What can we do today beyond cast our vote for imperfect candidates whose values and party platforms most closely align with teachings in Scripture? I believe we can teach our children how to live and help others who are pioneer parents. In so doing, we change the world one person (or one family) at a time.