Use what God gave you. (2)

“WHILE THE EARTH REMAINETH, SEEDTIME AND HARVEST…SHALL NOT CEASE.” GENESIS 8:22

To succeed in life you must seek God’s direction, prepare yourself, work hard, and invest in the right things. The Bible says God give us the ability to make money (See De 8:18). So never apologize for that ability! But material success is only part of it. God’s real objective is to make you a channel through which His blessings flow to others. He’s not opposed to you owning things, as long as they don’t own you! God wants your greatest joy to be in Him, the Giver, not His gifts. Money can be a tool for good or evil, and one reason God wants you to have it, is to make sure it gets to the right places and funds His purposes.

Parent, teach your children that saving and investing are essential to good stewardship. And don’t just preach it, practice it. For example, if you earn $40,000 a year and spend it eating out and buying the latest clothes, you’ll end up with a full stomach, an expanding waistline, a crammed closet and empty pockets! The Bible says: “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest…shall not cease.” Notice the sequence in this Scripture: first you plant your “seed,” then you give it “time,” then you reap your “harvest.” Consistent sowing guarantees consistent reaping. Each seed planted, schedules a harvest. For example, $4 a day (a cup of cappuccino) invested at 6% becomes almost a million dollars in 46 years. Isn’t it worth forgoing a few luxuries now in order to be secure later, to be in a position to fulfill God’s purposes, and hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Mt 25:21)?