Honor the Lord with your wealth.
—Proverbs 3:9
Bob and Nell were frivolously spending their rapidly-diminishing retirement savings. Their financial advisor repeatedly counseled them to be more cautious. They kept spending. He suggested that they bring one of their three grown children to their next meeting. “Which one?” asked Bob. “Whichever one you’re going to live with when you run out of money,” he said.
Most of us know how to spend. Some of us haven’t learned how to give. “Remember that our Lord Jesus said, ‘More blessings come from giving than from receiving’” (Acts 20:35). He also said: “Wherever your treasure is, you may be certain that your heart will be there too” (Mt 6:21). A lot of otherwise smart people haven’t learned those lessons.
Reality check: a look at your checkbook register will tell you where your heart is.
Charity begins at home—
but it shouldn’t end there.