Proverb 13: 22
A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, and the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.
We tend to like the last part of this verse but the first part doesn’t get much play time. Yes, it is true, the sinners are busy building mansions that the saved will live in. However, we are not meant to spend all of that wealth on ourselves. We are supposed to leave a legacy for our grandchildren.
We have all seen the bumper sticker which reads, “I am spending my children’s inheritance.” While that is funny at one level, it is tragic at another. Our economies, both personal and social, suffer because we have forsaken the sound financial principles that God handed down to us. We have become consumers on a grand scale. We no longer worry about saving for a rainy day because we expect someone else to catch us if we fall. We depend on our parents, the government or even the church. When did it become the responsibility of others for our welfare?
God wants to have a personal, financial relationship with you. He wants you and He to cooperate in the financial future of you and your family. It is not his intent, however, to prosper you so that you can spend it all on your own lusts. He intends for you to build a heritage by listening to Him. This financial plan will bless us but if we will listen to God and manage it correctly, it will also be a blessing to generations who follow us. Tithe ten percent and save ten percent. Build a strong foundation for future generations. Then teach them to tithe ten percent and save ten percent. If we would begin to do this, I mean if we all began to follow God’s economic plan, we could put our economies back on their feet in no time. There is a way which leads to destruction and there is a way which leads to abundance. Let’s follow God’s way.