By Guest: Shane Barkley
My sweet, sweet daughters, you are growing up in a world that is much different than the world I was raised into. The great deceiver has won many battles with the secular world and is battling, with many successes, in the church. We know the end result of the war because of the death and resurrection of Jesus, but Satan does not recognize his defeat just yet.
One of the biggest traps Satan sets for us is with money! He knows us even better than we know ourselves and his desire is for our society to ignore the instruction the Bible gives us. Here are three very important biblical concepts that Satan confuses but I desire you know before leaving the protective covering your mother and I provide.
The first idea is to love Jesus, not money. At first you may wonder, “Why can I not love both?” God answers that question in the following verse. Matthew 6:24 says, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” This verse is a warning and as I read this verse, the meaning is very plain. If you love money, you hate God! Please, love Jesus and not money, as the love of money will lead to a path of frustration and unhappiness.
The second idea comes from the first. Money is a tool for our journey, not the destination of our journey. Where is our destination? Heaven. You may wonder, how then, is money to be used? Let’s take a look at God’s word by looking at Matthew 6:19-20 which says “Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But accumulate for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.” God is very clear in verse 19 that we are not to accumulate treasures for ourselves on earth. Does this mean we do not buy things for our needs while on earth?
How then, do we use money to accumulate treasure in heaven? We use the money God has placed into our control to provide for ourselves but for others too. 1 Timothy 6:18-19 sheds light on the “how” of laying up treasure in heaven. Verses 18 & 19 say “Tell them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous givers, sharing with others. In this way they will save up a treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the future and so lay hold of what is truly life.”
Some of these ideas have taken me many years to process in my mind. Trust me, when I say, I know this is difficult to understand, let alone try to do, but is attainable with the proper perspective.Absolutely not! The Bible says that God will provide for our needs, but many are confused as to the meaning of needs. Do you need a $100 pair of jeans or will a $20 pair work just the same?
The last idea addresses perspective and the big picture question of “How do I keep my focus on God and not money?” Although a daily, if not second by second challenge, the answer is found in Matthew 6:21. Verse 21 says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
My interpretation of this verse is relatively simple. If I focus on myself, I will focus on accumulation of treasures on earth. If I focus on Jesus, I will accumulate treasure in my eternal destination, heaven.
I love you girls and my desire is to help you learn these truths!
Love,
Dad
I want to give every parent a challenge. God directs parents regarding teaching biblical truths to our children in Deuteronomy 6:6-9 which says, “These words I am commanding you today must be kept in mind, 7 and you must teach them to your children and speak of them as you sit in your house, as you walk along the road, as you lie down, and as you get up. You should tie them as a reminder on your forearm and fasten them as symbols on your forehead. Inscribe them on the door frames of your houses and gates.”
How are you teaching your children God’s truth?
Shane has a passion for teaching dads & moms how to integrate Biblical
financial values into their children’s lives. Shane has a degree in Business Administration from John Brown University and has 10 years experience in the financial consulting industry. He currently serves as the President of Dad the Family Shepherd. Shane and wife Valerie live in Topeka, Kansas with their three daughters.
DAD CENTS
Do you want your child(ren) to have a better understanding of money than you did as a kid? Every parent answers with an ecstatic yes but very few are actively teaching their children. Dad Cents provides dad & mom biblical; practical, & age based applications for day to day living.
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