Many children are taught to believe pursuits other than faith in and intimacy with Jesus Christ are more important for their lives because their parent’s daily activities deceive them into thinking it is acceptable to spend little or no time in fellowship with Jesus Christ, the Church, and other believers. Also, emphasis on being successful in life is usually couched in the need for higher education in universities or finding a highly-paid niche via the professional music, acting, entertaining, or sports industries.
Most of the present-day boards and CEO’s facilitating these options have absolutely no focus on glorifying the LORD in what they do and how they do it. Even when they will market gospel products and services, the main driver that determines what they will do is how much profit they believe they can make with it. Often, even when profit has been good they will kill a good product or service when human sentiment from customers and naysayers do not like a person they were using who delivered a message of righteousness based on biblical morals during a speaking engagement or media interview that is not related to the product they endorse for the company. This has happened in many instance when the person described what the LORD via the bible shows are sexually immoral practices and lifestyles.
Many parents either agree with this handcuffing of godly voices in society or simply provide no voice to let their kids know they should believe, live, and speak the LORD’s standards regardless of what others around them have to say and that they should be willing to suffer (if need be) in living His way because it puts them on the narrow road of salvation leading to eternal life of which Jesus Christ spoke. Tragically, this same parental apathy exists in stewardship of money and resources the LORD entrusts to them. Again, they present a terrible example to the children and to their onlooking friends.
For sure, we must live in the world, but we are instructed to not be of the world. In other words, even as we go about getting training, higher education, and mastery in vocational fields we must not do so in ways that lead us and our children away from the LORD’s standards and will for our / their lives. We must be ever vigilant to pray and ask His guidance about our children’s purpose in this life and show them how to do the same and to live according to His will overall and per His instruction when He speaks specifically to them.
Failing to example this pattern for children or allowing them to think those around them who appear to have lots of money, power, and/or fame automatically do everything the right way or that it does not matter what one does as long as it results in them being happy will entice them to live out many bad patterns that seem fun for a short time but will in the long run be hurting instead of helping them. In the financial arena, such mindsets lead them to constantly borrow money to try and get all the material comforts they desire, which will make them slaves to debt and creditors and ensure financial struggles throughout their lives even when they are able to achieve high incomes and lives full of material pleasure.
They should be taught as early as possible to (1) work for employers and via entrepreneurial endeavors, (2) tithe & give offerings, (3) budget, (4) save, (5) not borrow money but instead save to get what they want, (6) not cosign for other people, (7) invest in equities, and (8) diversify their savings and investments. This will not happen when you are not focused on pursuing God’s will for your life. Your children are more likely to follow what you do rather than what you say, so make sure your lifestyle and examples line up with biblical standards for good stewardship because it is the only lifestyle that glorifies the LORD and leads to true fruitfulness, reward, and prosperity.
Please pray for this ministry and email me with any questions. May the LORD bless you richly as you follow His plan!
Deuteronomy 6:5-9, Proverbs 22:6-7, Matthew 5:16-20, Ephesians 6:4, 2Timothy 3:12-17
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