“Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”
Luke 2:52 (NIV) Awesome families encourage growth. How? They create an atmosphere of lifelong learning. They help each other develop. They encourage the discovery of each person’s spiritual gifts and abilities. They allow people to learn new things and develop new interests. But you don’t necessarily need a biological family to help you grow. Your church family can—and should—be a force for growth in your life. There are some things that you’re never going to learn if you don’t learn them in relationship with others. You can’t learn them at school. You can’t learn them at work. You only can learn them with other people. You need community. In fact, most of your problems as an adult come from the fact that you didn’t learn certain things correctly as a child. Here are five things you must learn in your family—whether biological or otherwise: 1. You learn what to do with feelings. In a healthy family, you learn how to identify, own up to, express, and deal with your feelings. Awesome families should let everyone be honest and let kids express their emotions too. 2. You learn how to handle conflict. Kids need to see their parents working problems out in front of them and dealing with differences in a healthy way. 3. You learn how to handle loss. You don’t want your kids to win all the time. If they do, they’ll find it devastating when they face inevitable losses as adults in the real world. They need to learn that failure won’t destroy them, that a loss isn’t the end of life. 4. You learn which values matter most. It’s important to teach kids the three basic temptations of life so they are not swayed by what the world values. Those temptations have to do with how you feel, what you do, and what you get in life—in other words, sex, salary, and status. 5. You learn good habits. Habits determine your character. Families should help each other grow so that everyone’s character is more like Jesus Christ. Start to make changes today so that your family—whether it’s biological, adoptive, or spiritual—is a safe place for everyone to learn and grow.
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“Love sincerely . . . Hold on to what is good. Be devoted to each other like a loving family. Excel in showing respect for each other.”
Romans 12:9-10 (GW) Strong marriages are good for everyone. They benefit the individuals who are part of those relationships and can even help to strengthen whole societies. Throughout history, marriage has been the fundamental building block of every society and culture. When marriages have been strong, nations have been strong. When marriages and families weaken, cultures decline. Strong marriages benefit the individuals in the relationship too. God uses marriage to perfect your character. In relationships you learn to be unselfish and loving. If you get married, no relationship will have a greater impact on your life. If you’re not married, God can and will use other people to build your character. I promise you—single people don’t get off the hook! Godly, others-focused singles play a critical role in flourishing cultures as well. In fact, sometimes, they play roles that married couples and those with children can’t. The truth is, societies also need singles to live in strong, fearless relationships with others. Whether or not you’re married, one of the main purposes of life is to grow up and realize it’s not all about you. In fact, real happiness comes from giving your life away, being unselfish, serving, and loving. This is called maturity. Life is a laboratory of learning how to love. It’s the most important thing in life because God is love, and he wants you to become like him. He wants to make you like Jesus Christ. He wants to build your character. If you’re married, the number one tool that God uses in your life to build Christ-like character is your spouse. Every day you get hundreds of opportunities to think about the other person instead of yourself. The Bible says, “Love sincerely . . . Hold on to what is good. Be devoted to each other like a loving family. Excel in showing respect for each other” (Romans 12:9-10 GW). Do you do that in your marriage? Love washes the dishes. Love takes out the garbage. Love puts the other person first. Excel in showing respect for each other so that you grow to be more like Christ. It will lead to a stronger relationship for you and a stronger society for everyone. “In God’s plan men and women need each other.”
1 Corinthians 11:11 (TLB) Marriage doesn’t solve your problems. Marriage does not create your problems. Marriage reveals your problems. It simply magnifies what was already a problem when you were living as a single adult. So if marriage doesn’t solve your problems, what does marriage do? Why did God design marriage in the first place? God created marriage for the connection of men and women. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 11:11, “In God’s plan men and women need each other” (TLB). Whether or not you get married, if you’re a woman, you need men in your life; if you’re a man, you need women in your life. Why? Because nobody holds the full image of God. Women get part of it and men get part of it, and we need each other. God wired us this way. God thought up gender, sex, and marriage. What a God! Did you ever wonder why God made man first and then woman a little bit later? Why didn’t he make them both at the same time? I think he did it for Adam’s benefit. I think he wanted Adam to realize how much he needed women in his life. Genesis 2:18 says, “It isn’t good for man to be alone; I will make a companion for him” (TLB). You need companions in all different areas of your life. But marriage is a particularly significant way to provide companionship; it’s in a relational class all by itself. Here’s what Jesus had to say about it: “‘God made them male and female’ from the beginning of creation. ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together” (Mark 10:6-9 NLT). This passage makes three major points about marriage: 1. Marriage is God’s plan. It’s not a tradition you can just throw out. 2. Marriage is between a man and a woman. Their body parts fit together for a purpose—the creation of everybody else. 3. Marriage is designed to be permanent. That doesn’t always happen. God is always ready and willing to forgive you when you don’t live up to his standards. But marriage is meant to be for life. Do you realize how radical those three statements are? Even if many people don’t believe them, they’re still the truth! The reality of life today is that many people live outside of this marriage ideal. But just because we live in the real, not necessarily the ideal, doesn’t mean we get to say the ideal doesn’t exist. The ideal is still the way God designed marriage. And when you choose to live inside of that design, you’ll reap the benefits of connection that God intended marriage to provide. “The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets.”
Proverbs 21:20 (TLB) John D. Rockefeller was the wealthiest man of his time and was often asked about the secret of his wealth. His answer became known as the 10-10-80 principle. He’d tell people that he got wealthy by giving away the first 10 percent of whatever he made; the second 10 percent went into savings, and he lived on the remaining 80 percent. Proverbs 21:20 says, “The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets” (TLB). Saving is one way that God tests you in your finances—to see if you will be responsible with what he’s given you. If you’re saving for the future right now, that’s smart. If you’re not saving anything, that’s just foolish. God wants you to tithe (to give the first 10 percent of your income through your church), and then he wants you to save for the future. You may think you can’t live on 80 percent of your income, but if you can’t, you’re likely just living beyond your means. You’re not managing your money well; you are spending more than you actually have. Remember, God tests you through your finances. Do you want God to find you faithful with your money? The 10-10-80 principle is the exact opposite of what most cultures teach. Culture says to pay all your bills first—but then you may not have any money for saving and tithing. God says, “Pay me first, then pay yourself second (savings), and then pay your bills after that.” That is the order God blesses—and he wants you to set up a budget that makes that order possible. If you’re not saving anything, you have a “live for today” mentality. That kind of mindset says, “I’ve got it now, so I’ll spend it now. Forget about tomorrow!” God doesn’t just want you to think about tomorrow. He wants you to plan for tomorrow so that you have enough to do the things he wants you to do. It’s smart to put off a purchase today that will better allow you to live your purpose tomorrow. And you can do it! Saving is a spiritual discipline, and God will give you all the grace you need to take the hard steps. Don’t live just for today. Learn to do whatever it takes to save money for the future. This is God’s way of doing things. When you ignore God’s principles, you’re asking for financial stress. When you do it God’s way, you’ll be at peace. “Plan carefully and you will have plenty; if you act too quickly, you will never have enough.”
Proverbs 21:5 (GNT) Most everyone wants to be financially responsible. And if you’re a follower of Jesus, you want to experience God’s blessing in your finances. One step in reaching those goals is to plan your spending—to develop the spiritual habit of budgeting. A budget is simply planned spending. It’s telling your money where you want it to go rather than wondering where it went. The only way to meet your financial goals is, first, to determine how you want to use your money and then, to make a plan for it to happen that way. Financial freedom does not come from making more money. It comes from spending less money. Financial freedom is not based on how much you make; it’s based on how you spend what you make. You can be financially free at almost any level of income. If you don’t know how to manage money at your current level, you aren’t going to know how to manage more. No matter how much or how little income you have, you need to learn how to plan your spending. Proverbs 21:5 says, “Plan carefully and you will have plenty; if you act too quickly, you will never have enough” (GNT). In many cultures today, “acting too quickly” equates to impulse buying—spontaneous, unplanned spending. Impulse buying has this attitude: You see it and you want it, so you get it. How do you break the habit of impulse buying? You nip it in the budget! You set up a plan and tell your money where you want it to go. Then you simply shop less. Study after study has shown that if you shop less, you spend less. If you’re in debt, for example, the last place you need to go to relax is the mall. If you don’t want to get stung, stay away from the bees! These are not new, deep insights. But they are certainly hard to follow. It takes real discipline to change your spending habits and hard work to write out a budget and stick to it. But on the days when it’s most difficult, remember that God is with you and he wants what is best for you. He wants to see your faithfulness in money management. And he will help you to take all the necessary steps to become a responsible steward of what he’s given you. “They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.”
1 Timothy 6:18-19 (NLT) The Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:18-19, “They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life” (NLT). You are going to enjoy forever what you invest in heaven, and you invest in heaven every time you use money for good. So what’s the best way to do that? Any financial advisor will tell you not to put all your eggs in one basket. Instead, you put your money into different funds for a balanced portfolio. Did you know that God has given different “funds” that you can invest in for eternity? We’re going to look at three today and two tomorrow. These funds are proven. They have a track record. They’re protected. They are risk-free. And they yield enormous dividends. 1. God’s Growth Fund. This is any time you invest in something that is going to grow your character. Proverbs 10:16 says, “The earnings of the godly enhance their lives, but evil people squander their money on sin” (NLT). So how do you enhance your life with your money? You use it to grow spiritually, intellectually, and emotionally. When you use money to develop your skills and become mature, you are investing in eternity. 2. God’s Mutual Fund. This is every time you use money to encourage fellowship and build relationships with other believers. Romans 12:13 says, “When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality” (NLT). Why does God want you to use some of your money to show love to other believers? There are three reasons. First, it proves that you’re in God’s family. Second, it creates unity. And, third, it’s a witness to unbelievers. 3. God’s Service Fund. This is when you invest in eternity by using money to serve others. God wants you to take some of your money and use it to help people who are in need. Proverbs 11:24 says, “The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller” (The Message). In other words, the more you help others, the more God blesses you. Why? Because God is a giver. He is generous, and he wants you to become like him. 4. God’s Global Fund. This is when you use your money to share the Good News and bring people to Jesus. Luke 16:9 says, “Use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings” (NIV). A lot of people have no idea what this verse means. Is it saying that you can buy friends? Not at all. It means that God wants you to invest in things that help get people into heaven so that when you get to heaven, they will welcome you there. It’s the greatest investment of your life. Is anybody going to be in heaven because of you? 5. God’s Treasury Fund. When you give money to God as an act of worship, that’s called the Treasury Fund. God makes a promise in Proverbs 3:9-10: “Honor the Lord by giving him the first part of all your income, and he will fill your barns with wheat and barley and overflow your wine vats with the finest wines” (TLB). “The first part of all your income” is your tithe—the 10 percent of your earnings that you give to God through your church. You can’t really give God anything because he already owns it all. But think about the allowance you may have received as a child. If you went out and bought a birthday present for your mom, you really were using her money. Does that mean she liked the gift any less? No—because she cared more about the thought and the love behind the gift. God feels the same way about your giving. The Bible says that wherever your treasure is, your heart will also be there. If what’s most important to you are the things of this Earth, then every day you are moving further away from your treasure. Because every day you are here on Earth, you’ve got one less day to invest in eternity. You’re moving further and further away from the things you’re going to leave behind. But if you’re investing in God’s funds and using your money to serve God’s purposes, then you’re storing up treasure in heaven every day. You’re getting closer and closer to your treasure instead of further and further away. Missionary Jim Elliot once said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” You’ll find yourself becoming more and more like God as you invest in your character, other believers, and people in need. “Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”
Galatians 6:9 (NLT) The Bible tells us that there are seasons in life. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” (NIV). The fact that life is made up of seasons means that life also includes times of waiting. Between the “then” and the “now”—or the “now” and the “what’s coming next”—there is always a delay. This irritates most people. It can be frustrating to make a deposit, investment, or plan and not have it instantly come to fruition. But fruit ripens slowly. Would you rather eat a vine-ripened tomato or one that has been picked green and then gassed to turn it red? There’s no comparison between a vine-ripened tomato, which was allowed to grow slowly, and a tomato that was picked prematurely. If you pick too soon, you miss the flavor. In money management, you always reap in a different season than you sow. And, by the way, not all fruit ripens at the same time. When you grow peaches, they’re not all ripe at once. They come in little by little; you pick a few a day. When you start planting and following God’s money management principles, you’re not going to get a windfall tomorrow. It’s going to come in over time. You’re going to have to wait to reap in a different season. But while you’re waiting, God is working. When you’re waiting for the fulfillment of the efforts or money or energy that you’ve put into something, you may think nothing’s happening. But, oh, it’s happening! While that seed is hidden in the ground, it is slowly germinating. And when that seed bursts with God’s blessing on it, it will continue growing and growing. One day a little shoot will stick up out of the ground, and then you will see that it’s working. But until then, you need to trust that God is working—even when you can’t see the fruit of your labor. Plants take time to grow. There’s no such thing as instant maturity. No farmer goes out, plants the seed in the ground, comes back an hour later, digs it up, and expects it to have grown. You’ve just got to let it be, and let God grow it in his time. Galatians 6:9 says, “Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up” (NLT). “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”
John 12:24 (NIV) What does a farmer do when he has a barren field that’s producing no income? He doesn’t complain about it. He doesn’t even have to pray about it! He just goes out and starts planting some seed—because nothing is going to happen until he plants the seed. He can pray all he wants, but it’s not going to produce a crop. Maybe you think you’re waiting on God. You think you’re waiting on God for that job. You think you’re waiting on God for a spouse. You think you’re waiting on God for the windfall. But God says, “You think you’re waiting on me? I’m waiting on you! I’m waiting for you to plant a seed.” Everything in life starts as a seed: a relationship, a marriage, a business, a church. And nothing happens until the seed is planted. Why does God require you to plant a seed? Because planting is an act of faith. You take what you’ve got, and you give it away. That takes faith, and it brings glory to God. Jesus described this principle of sowing and reaping when he was trying to explain why he came to Earth to die on the cross. In John 12:24 Jesus said, “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds” (NIV). Jesus was saying, “People will be saved and go to heaven because of my death and Resurrection. I’m going to plant a seed, and the seed is going to be my life.” Here’s the principle of sowing and reaping: Whenever you have a need, plant a seed. Whatever you need—more time, more energy, more money, more support, more relationships, more wisdom—just plant a seed. If you need more time, give more time to your kids. If you need more money, give it away to someone who needs it. If you need more wisdom, share what wisdom you have with others. Give yourself away! It may not make sense to you to give away something that you need more of, but that is exactly the kind of attitude that God wants to bless and that will produce fruit in your life. “Once there was a man who was about to leave home on a trip; he called his servants and put them in charge of his property. He gave to each one according to his ability: to one he gave five thousand gold coins, to another he gave two thousand, and to another he gave one thousand. Then he left on his trip.”
Matthew 25:14-15 (GNT) Jesus says in Matthew 25:14-15, “Once there was a man who was about to leave home on a trip; he called his servants and put them in charge of his property. He gave to each one according to his ability: to one he gave five thousand gold coins, to another he gave two thousand, and to another he gave one thousand. Then he left on his trip” (GNT). Instead of using a bank, when this rich man left for his long trip, he entrusted his property to his servants. When he returned, he asked each one for an account of how they’d handled his money. What the rich man was looking for was good stewardship. The word stewardship is related to the Old English word for “manager.” Your stewardship—your management—is key to your financial freedom. The first law of financial freedom is the law of possession: Everything you have belongs to God. You are only a manager! You are called to be a steward of your time. You are called to be a steward of your influence. You are called to be a steward of your health, your relationships, and your opportunities. God calls you to be steward or manager of everything you have. You may say, “But wait a minute! I worked for my money, and now you want to tell me it isn’t mine?” Where do you think you got your body to work for your money? Where do you think you got your mind to work for it? Where do you think you got the energy to work for it? Where do you think you got the intelligence to work for it? Everything you have comes from God. You don’t really own anything in life; it’s all on loan. You only get to use God’s money while you’re here on Earth. He’s loaned it to you for a few decades. He loaned it to somebody before you, and he’s going to loan it to somebody else after you die. You don’t own it; the Master owns it all. You just get to manage it. Do you know what the sign is that you’ve forgotten the law of possession? When you think your money is yours, you worry about it. You feel a pressure and stress that you weren’t meant to. Money management is a spiritual discipline. God is watching how you handle his money to see what spiritual riches he can trust you with in heaven. This might make you feel pressure, but there is actually freedom in the law of possession. When you remember that God is the owner and you are the manager, you’ll worry a whole lot less and focus more on managing God’s money well. “Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live.”
Mark 8:35 (TLB) Why don’t I feel more fulfilled? Far too many people are asking themselves that question. They’re not happy, they’re not satisfied—in fact, they’re miserable. Here’s a story that illustrates why. Climbing Mount Everest is one of the challenges that inspire people to do something big. Many people try to reach Everest’s summit—but there are also climbers who die in their attempt. Many of the corpses line the path up the mountain. Yet people still want to climb the mountain, though it has no real redeeming social value. A few years back one climber, David Sharp, was clearly in trouble on the mountain. There were at least 40 other climbers who noticed his obvious need but did little to help him. He died on Mount Everest because none of the other climbers were willing to put their personal goals on hold or risk their own safety to help him. The truth is that most people are like that. Your own personal drive to have more, be more, do more—or even to protect yourself—causes you to lose sight of what really matters. But that isn’t how God wired you. Life isn’t about what you make, who you know, what you do, or looking out for yourself. Life is all about love—loving God and loving others. Jesus says in Mark 8:35, “Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live” (TLB). God wired you in such a way that you’ll never be happy unless you’re giving your life away in his work. You were made for something greater than yourself. The Bible calls this your mission in life. Significance doesn’t come from status, salary, or sex. It comes from service. It’s only when you give your life away that you’ll feel fulfilled—like you’re living a life of significance. |
AuthorTaken from Daily Hope by Rick Warren. Categories
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