I am combining two of these in this post because they go together.
Am I planning and providing for a material inheritance for my child (money, help in establishing a business, building a house, etc.)?
"For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children." (2 Cor 12:14)
We all love to give to our children but can you imagine if we cut half of what we gave to them in their liftetime of living with us and saved it in cash invested and then gave it to them when they married (sons or daughters) or went out on their own? (sons)
And that would be just for the people who couldn't save extra. I mean, some would say "we don't have it to save" but we all know we are the richest people in the world. Very few of us are ACTUALLY poor...maybe not managing it well but poor? Nah...I love to give to my kids too...my mother loves to give to them even more! Lol But I want to give them something later. I want to give each girl a home or a financial gain of some kind. But what I am giving them more is the knowledge that they can turn a profit from home and save it up. Can you imagine what their husbands would think of them when they come into a marriage with 50,000 that they earned? It's possible. It really is.
I hope I get a bunch of home body hubbies for my girls that don't take them too far away...I want us all to live on the same block! Please?
Am I growing and maturing in a way that will provide a spiritual heritage for my child?
The righteous man walks in integrity; His children are blessed after him." (Proverbs 20:7) and "But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, and His righteousness unto children's children, to such as keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commandments to do them." (Psalm 103:17-18)
How much more important is this than a financial legacy? Well actually, I am not sure it is MORE important. Is one scripture more important than another? Interesting thought. I prefer the idea that we should be doing ALL of scripture...not just choosing the "most important" ones. But of course, this is one that weighs heavily on me since it is much more difficult. Money comes and goes. Easy come easy go right?
But a spiritual endowment....now that takes a lifetime of effort and example and boy do I fall short.
If our children don't become MORE spiritually mature and knowldegable than we are when they are still in our care, I don't know...it seems that we have failed our job there. Our children should surpass us...we should be BUILDING family legacy not just laterally moving it from one to another. Some time ago Rachel really began surpassing my biblical knowledge by sheer ability to retain our study better than myself. I liked it. But is should go even further than that. At least for a lot of us. Many of us weren't raised under the best and most Godly of circumstances...and so if we raise our children in the ways of the Lord than their lives should show marked improvement and maturity at a younger age than we produced fruit.
Think about building a financial inheritance and a spiritual heritage for your children today.
Blessings.
3 comments:
Love this! I was raised by Christian parents. But they were raised by parents who thought others knew best (because they were very poor, they had a mindset that others must know best because they had things). So, in turn, my parents raised us to think all teachers, preachers, etc. knew what they were talking about. Think of the confusion all that brought! And I was brought up with respect and some knowlege of what the Bible says but not an unadulterated love for the Word. That is a big building block I want for our children.
Good one. I always think we need to save tons for them, but really anything will do. I never thought much about this.
I am not well versed in the bible and it has caused some problems here. Chewhi, I guess I would be like your parents, thinking other's must know better than me. WOW! To have seen you just write that right now put it in perspective. You have no idea! Thanks for that.
Steph, I also want mine to live around me, like within walking distance. I really think they might. They all say they are going to live near us no matter what. I know, they are still small, but I am holding onto the hope that they will want to be near us forever. My parents always talked about how they couldn't wait for us to leave so they could be alone. Guess what? They are all alone and not liking it one bit. You reap what you sow. I know I sound harsh but it is the truth.
my kids laugh at me (in a kind way) because all they have to do is mention "when I have/do/go ____" house, family, college, whatever (and remember they're over 15 and 16), I mimic the father in My Big Fat Greek Wedding... *sniffling* "why you want to leeeave me?" They know I'm joking, but they know I'm not... know what I mean?
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