God and Money

I was just having a look at this on MSN, and it got me to thinking.  What does God want us to teach our children about money?

I hardly believe the good Lord wants all his children to take a vow of poverty and take to the streets to beg for our daily bread.  On the other hand, I doubt He takes pleasure in the man or woman who sits upon a mountain of riches without putting that money to good works.

Lucky me–I don’t have either one of those problems to consider.  Being a woman who stays at home with her three small children, I’m never presented with the problem of having too much money and no where to put it.  Thankfully, my husband’s job puts food on the table and clothes on the backs of our children, and keeps me from begging on the corner.

Several years ago during a time when my husband and I were struggling very hard to pay our bills and to manage our money, I came to a powerful realization.  Since my first son was born, Ed has done whatever he had to do–including working 15 hour days, six days a week–to take care of our family and allow me to stay home with our children.  The time that he has had to be with our family has been very precious to us, especially to our three little boys.  That family time is and has been nothing less than sacred.

So what about the other time?  What about the time that my husband sells to his employer in exchange for the income that we need to keep our children sheltered, fed, and clothed?  Isn’t that time sacred as well?  I came to the understanding that it is indeed sacred, as is the money that represents that time which he spends away from us.  To squander, to frivolously throw away or lose that money is not just irresponsible, it is a sin.  Because God has given us this gift of life, the gift of time, the money that we exchange our time for is also a gift from God.  I firmly believe there will come a time when we have to answer for it when we answer for the lives that we have led.

So when it comes to the question, “What does God want us to teach our children about money?” I believe the answer is as complicated and as simple as what God wants us to teach our children about everything in our lives; whether it be sexuality, money, or the very world we live in.  It is a gift from the Lord, not to be squandered and not to be hoarded away untouched.  It is to be used to glorify God and honor the generosity he shows all of his children.