As we have seen, God intended for humans to work in one capacity or another. This part of our life (the working years) is usually about 40 years long. For many people this is the time when children are being brought up and educated and when the home and other major purchases are acquired. This can be a very intense time financially. It is a very sensitive time because the family is learning to work together, and its members are creating lifelong bonds. Financial stress can wreck the marriage at this point, and frequently does. Families in which both parties have a Christian commitment and are willing to follow biblical principles are much more stable.
Read 1 Timothy 5:8; Proverbs 14:23; and Colossians 3:23-24. What important points can we take away from these texts about finances in the home?
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In many cases, the husband is the main breadwinner, though often both spouses work. Of course, unexpected circumstances can arise — sickness, economic downturns, whatever — that make this ideal difficult. People need, then, to adjust accordingly.
The children who are brought into the world during this segment of life are called “a heritage from the LORD” (Psalm 127:3, NKJV). We must remember that children bring with them an awesome responsibility. The goal of Christian parents is to train their children to become independent adults in this life and to fit them for the life to come. Here are three points to help parents:
- Provide a Christian home environment. This would include regular and interesting family worship, regular Sabbath School and church attendance, and faithfulness in tithes and offerings. These are great habits to form in early life.
- Teach them a willingness to work and an appreciation for it. Children will discover that diligence and integrity at work are always noticed, appreciated, and rewarded. They will learn that money comes to us as a result of our giving time to others by performing tasks that are valuable to them.
- Help with a good education. Education is expensive today — particularly private school Christian education. But to parents with plans for their children not only for this life but also for that which is to come, it is well worth the cost.
| Of course, no matter what they do no one has any guarantee about the direction their children will go. Why is it important for parents not to blame themselves for the wrong choices their older children might make? |
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