February is Stewardship Month in our church. When most Christians hear stewardship they instantly think about money and tithing. We consider it another item on the believer checklist. While tithing is commanded, it is only one part of being a good steward.
A steward is defined as a person who manages another's property. We are managers of what God entrust us with. Our attitude must be one of acknowledgement that all we have is God's. This includes our material possessions, our abilities, and our time. Our best in these areas is always enough for Him, no matter how small.
I have come to realize time is my most valuable resource. This is especially true for working dads with large families. It seems everything is tugging for your time. Your time is divided between family, career, ministry opportunities, and much more. How we prioritize our time is critical to so many. Once it is gone it cannot be retrieved. It is so easy to fail as a manager of our time.
What can we do in our children's life today that will matter for eternity? Is it that important they play every possible organized sport? What if we were as excited about our children learning scripture and hiding it in their heart as we are about a touchdown?
If we have a proper perspective it is easier to "make it all work". We should be aware that our time is a gift from God just like every other blessing He gives. Our time should be thought of as a budget. We can't spend what we don't have. If we spend most of our day not honoring God than our "budget" is upside down. Many times fathers have good intentions and still make poor choices. We are wired to be providers and can focus too much on our jobs if not cautious. Sometimes the best intentions are damaging to the family. This makes it so so important to have the right vision for your family.
Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. 1 Corinthians 4:2
Showing posts with label stewardship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stewardship. Show all posts
Monday, February 13, 2012
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Bankruptcy By Way Of Tooth Fairy
Everybody knows raising children can be expensive. My son lost two teeth this week and I joked the Tooth fairy is going to put us in bankruptcy. Especially when you consider seven mouths times 20 teeth. In our house it requires some creativity when it comes to money. Fortunately my wife is the deal finding, bargain shopping, won't pay full price, clearance Queen of the world.
Our family decided years ago to do our best to live debt free. I would rather drive a beat up passenger van with 140,000 miles as opposed to being slave to a loan company for a little more comfort. We struggle with money like most others, but we have adopted some principles to live by. It's about changing behavior and not so much about making more money.
The first principle is not to finance anything. If we don't have the cash, we probably don't need it. Secondly, is shopping rule number one, "we buy cheap". My children can quote this upon request. This does not necessarily mean the absolute cheapest. We shop for the best deal with quality in mind. My wife is naturally wired this way. For me it has been a work in process. I enjoy convenience, but it is expensive. It is why a 20 oz. soda cost twice as much as a generic 2-liter. Just another reason God knew what he was doing when he placed us together.
I think for us it all came down to priorities. We had to decide what we value most. There was a time when we picked kids up from daycare in the evening, went home for dinner/bath time, and next thing you know it was bedtime. Quality family time was lacking. Our relationships were suffering. This was clearly not God's will. We feel nothing that causes family fragmentation is God honoring. I am not being critical of others; this is about our family decisions. It is a work in process and a humbling one at that. It wasn't easy moving from the nice subdivision to our old handyman special. It wasn't easy, but God always honors commitment and has blessed us over and over again. Today, my wife works at home, educating our kids and soaking up every precious moment. We have been blessed with more children and our family unit continues to strengthen. We may "buy cheap", but we are rich in family.
Our family decided years ago to do our best to live debt free. I would rather drive a beat up passenger van with 140,000 miles as opposed to being slave to a loan company for a little more comfort. We struggle with money like most others, but we have adopted some principles to live by. It's about changing behavior and not so much about making more money.
The first principle is not to finance anything. If we don't have the cash, we probably don't need it. Secondly, is shopping rule number one, "we buy cheap". My children can quote this upon request. This does not necessarily mean the absolute cheapest. We shop for the best deal with quality in mind. My wife is naturally wired this way. For me it has been a work in process. I enjoy convenience, but it is expensive. It is why a 20 oz. soda cost twice as much as a generic 2-liter. Just another reason God knew what he was doing when he placed us together.
I think for us it all came down to priorities. We had to decide what we value most. There was a time when we picked kids up from daycare in the evening, went home for dinner/bath time, and next thing you know it was bedtime. Quality family time was lacking. Our relationships were suffering. This was clearly not God's will. We feel nothing that causes family fragmentation is God honoring. I am not being critical of others; this is about our family decisions. It is a work in process and a humbling one at that. It wasn't easy moving from the nice subdivision to our old handyman special. It wasn't easy, but God always honors commitment and has blessed us over and over again. Today, my wife works at home, educating our kids and soaking up every precious moment. We have been blessed with more children and our family unit continues to strengthen. We may "buy cheap", but we are rich in family.
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