Five Financial Facts For Families

Five Financial Facts For Families

J. Mike Minnix

Introduction

Psalm 127:1-2 ...

I want to share with you today Five Financial Facts For Families. How many of you know that money  is one of the three leading causes of divorce in America? And it is not the absence of money that always leads to divorce, but rather sometimes the presence of too much money that ruins a marriage. Or, more often, the misuse of money that divides families. We need to admit that this is true and find answers to the problem in order to avoid its negative results. In fact, in many surveys, money is the number one problem in the breakdown of the home, tied with infidelity. Even people who list communication as their problem, state that their communication problems surround the use of money in the family life.

Today I want us to look at Psalm 127 and understand the will of God regarding family finances. A wrong approach to money can lead to long days and sleepless nights, broken hearts and broken homes. In our passage today, the Scripture records that we must have the Lord's plans in the building of our homes - and that is speaking of building the right relationships and priorities. No matter how hard we work at this issue, if we do not have Him as our builder - our guide - we are laboring in vain - we will rise early and go to bed late but never find what we're looking for in life. So, get your pens and pencils out and take some notes on how to have a rich marriage when it comes to family finances.

I. The Pleasure Factor

First, let's consider the Pleasure Factor regarding money. The fact is that Money will not make you happy. Look at Ecclesiastes 5:10 ...

"Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless."

Again, look at Luke 12:15 ...

"Then he said to them, 'Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.'"

Jesus told us that life is not made up of those things we have. This is not to say that there is a lack of pleasure in having money, it is to say that money itself cannot produce lasting pleasure or deepening happiness. To see this even more fully, look at the word "vain" in Psalm 127.

The word "vain" is prominent in Psalm 127. Three times in just two verses the Lord interjects the word "vain." This word means more than you might realize. It comes from a Hebrew root word which means "to rush over," and by implication it means "to go over a cliff to destruction." Thus, it developed over time to mean something that is empty, without meaning, even being evil in its nature.

Why is it that money, though it is important and produces a measure of joy, cannot produce lasting peace and happiness? Because you were not made to have peace and lasting happiness in possessions. You were made for fellowship with God. Fellowship with God produces the kind of peace you need, not the kind you think you need. You were created to live in His grace and His presence. Money and possessions can become a barrier to that relationship with God unless you know spiritually and biblically how to handle it.

Henry Ford, the late founder of the Ford Motor Company, had a go-getter of a young man working for him. One day Ford asked the rising executive what he most wanted out of life. The young automotive executive said that he wanted to make lots and lots of money. The next day Ford gave him a pair of glasses and asked him to put them on. The glasses had been especially prepared during the evening after their conversation. Ford had an optometrist take out the lens from a pair of glasses and set silver dollars in their place. As the young man donned the glasses, Ford asked, "Now, tell me, what can you see?" The man said, "I can't really see anything." Ford replied, "That's right, young man, and that is what money will do to you. It will blind you to everything in this world that is important. You had better get some better goals for your life."

I've known a number of Christian men and women who had wealth. I've noticed how they have used their wealth for God's work and to assist others. In fact, it has been my experience to see the joy such Christians have in sharing what God has gifted them to earn or obtain. Their joy is not diminished by money, nor is it increased by money. Often it is the joy of the Lord that caused them to obtain what they have. They have it because knew He could trust them to handle it properly.

Possessions are nice when kept in their proper place, but they blind us when they become too important. Many families are destroyed by this very first principle. They think to themselves, and sometimes even say, "If only we could get that home, or that car, or that boat, or that furniture, we would be happy. If only we had a certain amount of money in the bank, we would be set for life." Such statements reveal foolishness and foolhardiness on the part of the speaker. Many families have gone after such goals and forgotten the truly important issues in life.

Tom Landry, the long time coach of the Dallas Cowboys, died a few years ago. He was a great coach, but he was a better man. He was a Christian and carried that over into his coaching life. He was asked early in his career how he had become incredibly successful so quickly. He replied, "I learned early to get my priorities in order. God, family, football, always in that order. This formula never fails." Landry was right.

Then, think of a second fact ...

II. The Provision Factor

Now, think about the fact that Money is not what your home, family or children need most.

Look at Deuteronomy 6:4-7 ...

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up."

We have all been shocked by school shootings in America, and I want you to go back a few years in your mind to the Columine school shooting. It was lunch time at Columbine High School and 17-year-old Cassie Bernall decided to skip lunch and study in the library. She was reading her Bible when Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold burst through the door and started shooting students one by one. Spotting her, one of the gunmen said, "Do you believe in God?" She answered, "Yes, I believe in God." The gunman asked her, "Why?" Before she could answer, he shot her in the head."

Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold walked into the high school in Littleton, Colorado, and began shooting. After they had finished the rampage, they shot themselves as a last violent act. They killed 12 students and 1 teacher, wounding many others. Immediately the experts began to look for answers to the massacre. They were shocked to find that the two students came from well-to-do homes and  lived in fashionable neighborhoods. When placed in juxtaposition with the rest of the world, those young guys were wealthy. Why were the psychologists so surprised that young men from nice communities could do such a thing? The answer is quite simple. The experts think that only kids  from poor families get into trouble and commit crimes.

Crime is the result of the corrupt human heart. All the money in the world will not stop crime. A person can drive the best car, have the best cell phone, watch a 70" QLED TV each day and still not be happy or fulfilled.

What the home needs first and foremost is a foundation. Jesus pointed that out in Matthew 7. He talked about a home built on sand and a home built on the rock. Jesus is the Rock! No wonder the Psalmist was inspired to write ...

"Except the Lord build the house,

the laborers work in vain!"

The foundation for the home is God's foundation - Jesus Christ. This foundation must be accepted by faith, for we cannot do anything to lay the foundation by ourselves.

What your family needs most is love - God's love. That love involves love from God, love for God and love for each other. A young teenage boy, 14 years old, asked his dad one day how much his dad made per hour. The father asked why. The boy said he just wondered. Now this was a number of years ago, and the father admitted that he made about $30.00 an hour. The boy then said, "Dad, can you give me $10.00 bucks?" The father said that he could and gave it to him. Then he asked what the young son was going to do with it. The boy asked his father to follow him to his room. When they arrived, the teenager pulled $20.00 out from under his pillow, put with the $10.00 his dad had given him and said, "There I have enough." He handed it to his father and asked, "Dad, here is $30.00, would you spend one hour with me?"

What your family needs is love. It must be a love that begins with adoration for the Lord and is shown in a devoted love toward your family members. And always remember this, families equate love with ... T. I. M. E.

Let me take you back for a moment to someone who is looked upon as one of the greatest athletes of all time. His name is Michael Jordan. You might be interested to know that Michael Jordan, the last year he played basketball, made $300,000.00 a game. That translated to $10,000.00 a minute. When Michael Jordan went to a movie, he was making $18,000.00 just sitting there. When he played a round of golf, he as making $33,000.00 during those 18 holes of golf. When eating out in a restaurant, he was making $5,600.00 during the meal. In fact, Michael Jordan made more money that year than all the former Presidents of the United States combined.

But don't get to excited about that. For you see, Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, was so rich that Michael Jordan would have been required to play basketball 270 years and save every cent he made just to have what Bill Gates owned at that time. Looks like the nerds beat the jocks after all. But all that money, in fact the money of both men combined, would not make any difference if a terminal illness without a cure struck one of their children, their spouse or their own lives. Our provision in life and eternity is found in Christ and Christ alone.

Let's consider the third factor ...

III. The Peace Factor

Thirdly, we consider the Peace Factor - Money does not produce peace - real peace in marriage produces money.

The context of Psalm 127 is fascinating. The picture is of a city in which homes are being built, but a watchman is waking up nightly to check the horizon for enemies. God is saying that he is watching in vain, unless there is a dependence upon God in the homes of that city. If war and death is all around you, what good is a new home? If enemies are storming the gates, who wants to be building a house? In fact, you never see people building houses in a war zone. I was in Vietnam in 1965-1966 as a US Amry soldier. I did not see a single soldier buying land and looking at housing plans for a home in Vietnam. All they wanted to do was complete their tours and get out of that place. In fact, in war zones you see people fleeing their houses. We have seen millions leave their homes in the Ukraine over the last 6 months due to the Russian invansion. Only when peace comes will they return to their homes or to build new ones.

Your family needs the peace that only comes from God. All the possessions in the world cannot give you that peace. After all, how quickly can you loose everything you have worked a lifetime to gain? You might wantl pose that question to the people who jumped from their office windows following the financial crash of 1929. You might want to ask the people who went through the devastating tornadoes which struck cities in the last few years. In fact, you might simplyt ask Job, the man we find in the Bible who seemed to have it made, when suddenly everything precious to him was taken in a short period of time. He had everything and lost it in a series of disasters. He lost his farm, his animals, his wealth, his children, his health and even his friends. He went from riches to rags over night. What was the result of that tragedy? His wife told him to curse God and die. Money problems often do that to people. Financial problems create hostility and disagreements. They expecially create these situations if you think that money is what life is about. Money cannot give you peace.

Let me tell you something. If you have peace with God, you are already rich and stand a chance of being rich in the things of the world as well. For you will not panic in a crisis. You know where your hope is. You and your spouse and your children can pull together rather than pulling apart when hard times come.

Let me give you some rules for having peace with money. Ready?

1. Put God first - tithe and give offerings to Him.
2. Be honest with money - never cheat with money, or lie and steal to have anything.
3. Pay your debts and remove all debt as quickly as you can.
4. Never hide your financial dealings from your spouse - no hidden money, it is not my money or her money, it is our money!
5. Do not ever put trust in money or things. It is a good thing that our currency in America reads, "In God We Trust." It is wise to remember that.
6. Always, and I do mean always, live below your means. Never buy things that stretch you to the limit. This puts tension in the home and can destroy a marriage.
7. Never buy anything with the single purpose of impressing people with your wealth.

If you follow these rules, you will possess your possessions, and they will never possess you! Now, that brings us to the fourth factor ...

IV. The Possession Factor

Money is not yours, you are only a manager of it. Now, get this straight right now - this moment - you don't own anything. You are merely a caretaker. Look at Psalm 24:1 ...

"The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it,

the world, and all who live in it."

The earth and all in it belong to God. Sometime ago I read that funeral homes that provide suits for men who die, provide a suit in which there are no pockets. That is not surprising, for what would a dead man do with pockets anyway?

We are told in Ecclesiastes 5:15 ...

"Naked a man comes from his mother's womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand." And you could add, "He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his bank account, safe or pocket."

You came here with nothing and you will not take one earthly thing with you when you leave! You don't own it; God owns it. This is the first and greatest principle in God's economy.

Jesus told the story of three men given different measures of money. Then He told how the owner went away for a time and came back to see what the men had done with that which He had given them. This is a perfect example of our lives. God gives us what we have and He will one day ask for an accounting. One day you and I will give an account for what we have done with money and possessions. After all, everything you have comes from God. I know, you have worked for it, but it is God who made that possible. Look at Deuteronomy 8:18. It is God who has given you the power to get wealth. Honor Him with it.

Now, for the fifth principle, consider ...

V. The Passion Factor

Money is not evil, but the love of money leads to many evils.

You see, money is not evil in and of itself, but rather it is the love or passion for money is that which creates the problems. What evils can this produce? Greed, hatred, jealousy, stealing, lying, murder, and many other such evils.

A National Geographic magazine told recently about the strange behavior of a primitive tribe in India. This tribe had experienced an earthquake. They did not know what to do, so they did something they thought might help. The men of the village went around driving nails into the ground to make it firm again. That is what modern man is doing when he tries to strengthen the home and society without God's plan.

We need to return to God's guidelines for family and personal finances. When we do, we will discover a peace that passes understanding. We will find joy in our work. We will have gladness in our homes. We live in a day when people know the price of everything but the value of nothing. God's guidelines for family life will change that.

Conclusion

Back when the telegraph was the fastest method of long-distance communication, a young man applied for a job as a Morse Code operator. Answering an ad in the newspaper, he went to the office address that was listed. When he arrived, he entered a large, busy office filled with noise and clatter, including the sound of the telegraph in the background.

A sign on the receptionist's counter instructed job applicants to fill out a form and wait until they were summoned to enter the inner office. The young man filled out his form and sat down with the seven other applicants in the waiting area. After a few minutes, the young man stood up, crossed the room to the door of the inner office, and walked right in. Naturally the other applicants perked up, wondering what was going on. They muttered among themselves that they hadn't heard any summons to enter the inner office They assumed that the young man who went into the office made a mistake and would be disqualified. Within a few minutes, however, the employer escorted the young man out of the office and said to the other applicants, "Gentlemen, thank you very much for coming, but the job has just been filled."

The other applicants began grumbling to each other, and one spoke up saying, "Wait a minute, I don't understand. He was the last to come in, and we never even got a chance to be interviewed. Yet he got the job. That's not fair!"

The employer said, "I'm sorry, but the last several minutes while you've been sitting here, the telegraph has been ticking out the following message in Morse Code: 'If you understand this message, then come right in. The job is yours.' None of you heard it or understood it. This young man did. The job is his."

That is our challenge today. We need to first listen to God's voice in a world of noises, voices and advice from every corner of life. We are to turn our trust over to Him, not to any other thing - certainly not to money. It is said that an English Queen was dying and said to her doctor, "All my kingdom for another day of life." He shook his head. In a few moments she was gone. All her money, all her kingdom, all her power, could not buy her one more hour of life.

When you have Jesus, you are eternally rich. All your days on this earth He will be with you, and all the days after this earth, you will be with Him. Let us recommit ourselves, our families, our homes, and all we possess to Him and His glory today.