Ken Lovelace Ministries


F a i t h M a t t e r s with Dr. Ken Lovelace Emphasis: Fatherly Advice A Little Fatherly Advice - Part 4 This week we'll deal with an issue that can be tricky, even for adults. We adults must have our acts together if we are to have an authoritative voice with our children regarding the one thing about which Jesus spoke more than prayer, more than forgiveness; more than any other single subject, the issue of money. IV. A Good Father Teaches His Children How To Handle Money There are four basic areas of financial responsibility that every father should teach his children. A. Giving - Our children must learn to honor the Lord with their income by making giving number one on their priority list. Tithing is so incredibly important, but did you know that a survey was once taken of Christians in all U.S. denominations? The results were disturbing: only 20% of Christians in this country say they are tithing faithfully. Listen to what Jesus said in Matthew 23:23: "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices-mint, dill, and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law - justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former (emphasis mine)." What is the former about which He spoke? The giving of "a tenth." I read where some people argue that since Jesus spoke of a tenth just this once, it doesn't carry much weight and so they don't take it seriously. But He also spoke only once about our need to be born again and that's something they take very seriously. We can't pick and choose; all of Jesus' words were important, even if He only said it once. The Lord spoke through Malachi when He said: "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it (3:10)." When we teach our children to tithe, we teach them the Word of God and the expectations of our Father. We teach them absolute dependence on God, genuine faith, deep trust, and a host of other lessons they'll not get anywhere else, not even in many churches. And when they learn these lessons, and learn to take God at His Word, they also discover that His promises are true, like Proverbs 3:9-10: "Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine." Tithing isn't the only giving about which we must teach our children; God's Word also addresses our need to be generous to the poor in 22:9: "A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor." B. Earning - In order to give, our children must learn a skill with which they can derive an income. The Bible tells us that he who doesn't work, doesn't eat…and that's pretty strong motivation for most of us. We need to teach our children not to be lazy, but to work even as children so that when they grow up and have to get a real job, work won't be foreign to them. C. Spending - The best biblical advice I can find on this is the woman described in Proverbs 31. She exemplifies how to wisely spend and invest money. Notice especially verses 16 & 24: "16She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. 24 She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes." Her spending is wise, she spends that which she's earned. And something else we notice, her spending was with her money, not someone else's. D. Saving - Our children must also learn the importance of providing not only for today's needs, but also for tomorrow's. If they learn to save up for the things they want and need, they'll avoid the destructive trap of deep credit card debt that has swallowed many young people alive today. Consider Prov. 6:6-8: "6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! 7 It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, 8 yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest." Conclusion Have you discussed financial issues with your children? It's important that we do so that they grow up well rounded and well versed on all the things of God. Purpose in your heart today that when the time is right, with God's help, you'll teach them these things along with the many other lessons you'll teach them from the Word of God. You'll be glad you did! Copyright © 2009. Faith Matters by Dr. Ken Lovelace. All rights reserved. KDT110209

F a i t h M a t t e r s
with Dr. Ken Lovelace
Emphasis: Fatherly Advice

A Little Fatherly Advice - Part 4

This week we'll deal with an issue that can be tricky, even for adults. We adults must have our acts together if we are to have an authoritative voice with our children regarding the one thing about which Jesus spoke more than prayer, more than forgiveness; more than any other single subject, the issue of money.

IV. A Good Father Teaches His Children How To Handle Money

There are four basic areas of financial responsibility that every father should teach his children.

A. Giving - Our children must learn to honor the Lord with their income by making giving number one on their priority list. Tithing is so incredibly important, but did you know that a survey was once taken of Christians in all U.S. denominations? The results were disturbing: only 20% of Christians in this country say they are tithing faithfully. Listen to what Jesus said in Matthew 23:23:

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices-mint, dill, and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law - justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former (emphasis mine)."

What is the former about which He spoke? The giving of "a tenth." I read where some people argue that since Jesus spoke of a tenth just this once, it doesn't carry much weight and so they don't take it seriously. But He also spoke only once about our need to be born again and that's something they take very seriously. We can't pick and choose; all of Jesus' words were important, even if He only said it once.

The Lord spoke through Malachi when He said:

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it (3:10)."

When we teach our children to tithe, we teach them the Word of God and the expectations of our Father. We teach them absolute dependence on God, genuine faith, deep trust, and a host of other lessons they'll not get anywhere else, not even in many churches.

And when they learn these lessons, and learn to take God at His Word, they also discover that His promises are true, like Proverbs 3:9-10:

"Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine."

Tithing isn't the only giving about which we must teach our children; God's Word also addresses our need to be generous to the poor in 22:9:

"A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor."

B. Earning - In order to give, our children must learn a skill with which they can derive an income. The Bible tells us that he who doesn't work, doesn't eat…and that's pretty strong motivation for most of us. We need to teach our children not to be lazy, but to work even as children so that when they grow up and have to get a real job, work won't be foreign to them.

C. Spending - The best biblical advice I can find on this is the woman described in Proverbs 31. She exemplifies how to wisely spend and invest money. Notice especially verses 16 & 24:

"16She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

24 She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes."

Her spending is wise, she spends that which she's earned. And something else we notice, her spending was with her money, not someone else's.

D. Saving - Our children must also learn the importance of providing not only for today's needs, but also for tomorrow's. If they learn to save up for the things they want and need, they'll avoid the destructive trap of deep credit card debt that has swallowed many young people alive today. Consider Prov. 6:6-8:

"6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!

7 It has no commander, no overseer or ruler,

8 yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest."

Conclusion

Have you discussed financial issues with your children? It's important that we do so that they grow up well rounded and well versed on all the things of God. Purpose in your heart today that when the time is right, with God's help, you'll teach them these things along with the many other lessons you'll teach them from the Word of God. You'll be glad you did!

Copyright © 2009. Faith Matters by Dr. Ken Lovelace. All rights reserved.

KDT110209