2021-12-23
Proverbs 15:27 AMP
Paul wrote these words to Timothy: ‘People who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows’ (1 Timothy 6:9-10 NLT). This is often misquoted as ‘money is the root of all evil,’ but what the Bible actually says is quite different. If money was inherently evil, God wouldn’t have blessed Solomon with it (take a look at 1 Kings 3:13).
There’s nothing wrong with having money. The real problem starts when we let a love for money become more powerful than our love for God. Then money can control us, and our desire for more can lead us to acquire it in the wrong way. ‘He who profits unlawfully brings suffering to his own house, but he who hates bribes [and does not receive nor pay them] will live’ (Proverbs 15:27 AMP). We might think one small lapse won’t matter because nobody will be hurt by it. But the impact of dishonesty can be wide ranging, and we probably won’t realise the total effect that it can have in the long run.
When it comes to having a healthy relationship with money, we should pay attention to our desire for more. If we find that money is our main driving force, the only thing that motivates us, we need to check in with God to make sure we’re not letting it replace Him in our lives, and that we’re not allowing it to lead us towards a path of dishonesty. When we’re honest with Him and listen to His wisdom, He’ll help us get back on track.
1 Cor 1-3; Matt 1:6b-11; Ps 113; Prov 31:14-17
Spreuke 15:27 NLV
J. Paul Getty se boedel het vier biljoen dollars oorskry. Hy was een van die rykste mans op aarde. Die Los Angeles Times het een van Getty se skrywes aangehaal: ‘Ek raak nooit maklik afgunstig nie, behalwe vir die afguns wat ek teenoor mense wat die vermoë het om ‘n huwelik te laat werk, voel. Dit is ‘n kuns wat ek nog nooit kon baasraak nie. My rekord: vyf huwelike, vyf egskeidings. Kortom, vyf mislukkings.’
Die koerantartikel vertel verder: ‘Getty het die herinneringe aan sy verhouding met sy vyf seuns, as ‘pynlik’ beskryf. Baie van sy pyn is saam met sy boedel aan sy nasate nagelaat. Timothy, een van Getty se seuns, het in 1958 in die ouderdom van twaalf aan komplikasies na ‘n operasie gesterf. Hy was die meeste tyd van sy lewe siek en het sy pa wat alewig weg op besigheid was, min gesien. Ander lede van die Getty familie het ook tragiese omstandighede gehad. ‘n Kleinseun, J. Paul Getty III, is ontvoer en vir ‘n losprys van $2.9 miljoen aangehou. Toe Getty weier om die losprys te betaal, het die ontvoerders die seun vir vyf maande aangehou en uiteindelik sy oor afgesny. Getty se oudste seun het onder vreemde omstandighede selfdood gepleeg. ‘n Ander seun, Gordon Paul Getty, se omstandighede was baie moeilik. Sy pa het hom gespot en hy was definitief nie sy pa se gunsteling nie. Soortgelyke droefheid het ander lede van hierdie ongelukkige familie soos ‘n skaduwee gevolg.’
Wanneer jy geld eerste en jou familie tweede stel, maak dit jou niks anders as ‘n ryk mislukking nie. As jy dus besig is om jou familie vir jou loopbaan op te offer, begin veranderinge maak! Moenie eendag terugkyk en besef dat jy vir die verkeerde dinge gelewe het nie.
Sielskos: 1 Kor 1-3; Matt 1:6b-11; Ps 113; Spr 31:14-17
2021-12-22
Deuteronomy 8:18 NKJV
Next to teaching your children how to walk with God, you will never teach them a more important life lesson than how to handle their money wisely. Dr. James Merritt writes: “We began teaching our kids early these principles of industry, honesty, and responsibility. Here are a few methods we used, which I recommend to you.
(1) Give your kids some jobs early on without pay, such as making up their beds, picking up their toys, and cleaning their rooms. Inspect their room each time, encouraging them as much as possible, but also letting them know the standard of quality that’s expected (no sloppy bed, toys left on the floor, etc.). This will begin to teach them the value of work, the fulfillment of doing a job well, and the discipline of following the commands of someone in authority.
(2) As your kids get older, choose some jobs they’re capable of doing (polishing shoes, washing the car, vacuuming the floor, etc.) and settle on fair compensation. This will begin to instruct them in the value of money and reinforce the rewards of a job well done. Again, have an understood standard of quality that’s expected, and don’t pay them until the job’s completed properly.
(3) Don’t give allowances or teach your children to expect them. Rather, teach them that money is earned through working for it. There’s nothing wrong with giving your child money out of love or as a reward (such as for good grades), but kids must learn the relationship between honest labor and just compensation.”
Bottom line: Those are three principles that will stand them in good stead throughout their entire lifetime.
Soul food: Malachi 1-4; Matt 1:1-6a; Ps 128; Prov 31:10-13
Deuteronomium 8:18 NLV
Nadat jy jou kinders geleer het hoe om met God die pad te stap, is die belangrikste lewensles wat jy hulle kan leer hoe om hulle geld met wysheid te hanteer.
Dr James Merritt skryf: ‘Ons het vroeg reeds ons kinders die beginsels van werksaamheid, eerlikheid en verantwoordelikheid begin leer. 1) Gee vir jou kinders van vroeg af werkies wat hulle sonder vergoeding moet doen, soos om hulle beddens op te maak, hulle speelgoed op te tel en hulle kamers skoon te maak. Inspekteer hulle kamers elke keer, moedig hulle soveel as moontlik aan, maar laat hulle weet dat jy ‘n sekere standaard van hulle werk verwag (daar moenie speelgoed op die vloer wees, die bed moet mooi opgemaak wees ens.). Dit sal hulle oor die waarde van werk, die vervulling oor ‘n werk wat goed gedoen is en die dissipline om die bevele van iemand in outoriteit te volg, leer.
2) Soos jou kinders ouer word, kies werk wat hulle in staat is om te doen (die kar te was, die vloer te stofsuig ens.), en besluit dan op billike vergoeding. Dit sal hulle die waarde van geld begin leer en die idee van beloning vir werk wat goed gedoen is, versterk. Weereens moet jy sekere standaarde van hulle werk verwag en hulle nie betaal totdat die werk heeltemal voltooi is nie.
3) Moenie jou kinders sakgeld gee of hulle leer om dit te verwag nie. Leer hulle eerder dat mens geld ontvang deur daarvoor te werk. Daar is niks daarmee verkeerd om vir jou kind geld uit liefde of as ‘n beloning (soos byvoorbeeld vir ‘n goeie rapport) te gee nie, maar kinders moet die verhouding tussen eerlike werk en regverdige vergoeding leer.’
Hierdie is drie beginsels wat hulle dwarsdeur hulle leeftyd, goed te pas sal kom.
Sielskos: Maleagi 1-4; Matt 1:1-6a; Ps 128; Spr 31:10-13
Deuteronomy 8:18 NIV
Moses spoke these words to the Israelites: ‘You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today’ (v.17-18 NIV).
As we saw in yesterday’s reading, the right way to earn money is through hard work and honest work, not through cheating or ungodly methods. But Moses’ words remind us that we must always remember the ultimate source of our money – God. We need to give Him the gratitude and glory for blessing us with the skills that enable us to do a good job, and for guiding us in the right way to go.
There’s a great feeling of satisfaction that comes from a job well done, and it isn’t necessarily wrong to feel proud about what we’ve done. Paul encouraged Timothy by saying, ‘Be a worker who is not ashamed’ (2 Timothy 2:15 NCV). If we stop caring, we won’t be inclined to out the effort into doing a good job. But what we need to watch out for is the type of pride that makes us shine the spotlight only on ourselves while forgetting God’s involvement.
So if we realise that we’ve been neglecting God’s part in our work, what can we do? A good starting point is to try and keep in mind the words of Colossians 3:23: ‘In all the work you are doing, work the best you can. Work as if you were doing it for the LORD, not for people’ (NCV). When we realise that God’s the source for everything we have, we’ll want to praise Him more and more for His blessings.
Malachi 1-4; Matt 1:1-6a; Ps 128; Prov 31:10-13
