February 2008 Archives

28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

— Matthew 6:28-34

Last week we examined the exhortation in Proverbs that we should not wear ourselves out to become rich. Rather, as leaders of our homes, we should invest ourselves in the things that producing lasting treasure. In response, some might say, “I am not trying to get rich; I just want to put food on the table for my family, put clothes on our backs and a roof over our heads.”

"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “ Luke 12: 32-34.

In the last post I referenced Luke 12:13-34 with regard to wise investments. Jesus says to invest your life in things that will not wear out, in treasure that will not be exhausted. That raises some questions: where is this treasure, and what are these things that will not wear out? How do you find them? How do you lead your children to investments that yield such a rich reward?

The biblical answer to this question has important implications for your role as a parent. God has called you to give your treasures to your children. These treasures come from your instruction to your children.  Proverbs 1:8-9 describes your instruction as fine jewelry with which you are to adorn your children. Do you regard the instructions you give your children as precious and rare gifts to them? Do your instructions really point them in the direction of treasure that cannot be exhausted?

To give precious gifts you must first know how to distinguish rare and beautiful gifts from ordinary gifts. When my children were young we traveled to a gemstone mine in the  North  Carolina mountains. We were given a small bucket of mud, dirt and rocks to examine and see if there were any raw precious stones which could be fashioned into fine jewelry. Finding the right words to say to your children is a little like sifting through those buckets of dirt and ordinary rocks at the mine.  A sharp eye was needed to distinguish the good stones from the ordinary ones. Of course, the people who worked at the mine could recognize the good stones much more quickly than we could.  In the same way, as you seek to develop your relationship with God through his word, you will more easily sort out ordinary words from the extraordinary, precious words that speak of the glory of God. As your heart treasures the wisdom of God you will find more quickly those words that will build up and bring encouragement rather than the sharp words that produce discouragement. You see, not just any word that comes to mind will bring the Spirit’s treasures to the surface. You want to use words that are carefully chosen to yield treasure which will not wear out.

Think about the words you use to instruct your children. Are they common words that are indistinguishable from broken rock and dirt? Or are they words that contain heavenly treasure?  You want to shepherd your children toward those investments that will never wear out and can never be stolen from your children. Your words of instruction indicate where your treasure lies as well. As you consider the everyday words you use—why not share some of your thoughts with us? In the next post we will continue to examine this connection between your words and biblical treasure.

Do not wear yourself out to get rich;
  have the wisdom to show restraint.
Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone,
  for they will surely sprout wings
  and fly off to the sky like an eagle. —Proverbs 23:4-5 

T. Rowe Price … Chuck Schwab … Ameritrade … Scottrade … Fidelity

These investment firms are frequent visitors in your home. No, they aren’t invited guests. They attach themselves to the televised sporting events that are the favorites of American men. So, just after your team scores, Chuck Schwab shows up, encouraging you to make wise investments using his brokerage firm. Just as Chuck is saying goodbye, the owner of Scottrade flies by in his helicopter to let you know how his firm makes investing affordable. These commercials are then followed by a commercial for Lexus. The message is clear: security and peace of mind come from making wise investments and making your money grow. Things provide accomplishment and stability. While it is good to save and plan for the future, your security lies elsewhere.

Don Fields left this comment on the second of three posts about the Super Bowl.

Excellent thoughts!

We cannot view any medium as "neutral." There is always a motivation and a message and we need to be evaluating and teaching our children to be evaluating.

One thing you haven't covered is that we should discuss the emptiness of a championship. As I watched the coverage after the game I heard much talk about Tom Coughlin, the Giants head coach, telling his players that second to family there is no feeling like winning a championship. This is a message that needs to be dealt with biblically.

Thanks, Don for raising an important consideration. As our culture’s spectacles become more elaborate, the emptiness that Don speaks of increases. I believe this indicates that the harder man searches for meaning and purpose apart from God the more futile and frustrating his search becomes.

2008 is a leap year. The Summer Olympic Games will be held. Who knows what memorable events from 2008 will go down in history? In America  there will be a presidential election.  That election also marks the end of a president’s term in office. As that term draws to a close much is made of the legacy of that president. Political observers ponder how history will view the legacy of a president. Some presidents become obsessed with their legacy—their place in history. Decisions are made with an eye towards protecting and enhancing the elusive prize of a favorable legacy. In the end, a president’s legacy is determined by what was done, not by how he wanted others to think of him.

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Whether you watch the Super Bowl or not the game is important to you as a Christian parent. This annual spectacle tells you a great deal about the world your children inhabit. Proverbs 7 shows a parent looking out his window at the world around him. This father used the view from his window to instruct his son about the dangers of life. The window of your television affords you the same opportunity and obligation. In addition to the game you can learn much about the world around you from the commercials. These commercials cost approximately 3 million dollars for a 30 second spot, and that does not include the production costs. The companies who sponsor these commercials believe that they will appeal to what motivates Americans. It is safe to assume that these sponsors don’t see an America that has a Godward  orientation. Chapter 3 of Shepherding a Child’s Heart speaks powerfully to this issue. The principles of this chapter have implications for your children:  Their hearts are not neutral. Who will they worship? What are their treasures? — to name a few.

Above all else, guard your heart,
     for it is the wellspring of life.

In this second look at Super Bowl XLII I want to examine morality and spectacle. Solomon’s warning to guard your heart and, by implication, to teach your children to guard their hearts is one that must not be neglected. Paul addresses the same theme in Ephesians 6 where he speaks about spiritual warfare. With regard to our hearts we are never in a neutral zone or a demilitarized zone (DMZ). The enemy is always lurking. Since Satan is the Deceiver his attacks are seldom obvious. Cultural spectacle is one way to deceive us. As we noted in the last post, spectacle tends to move us beyond morality.

It is perhaps easy to think that an event like the Super Bowl doesn’t have a major impact on our families. This is precisely why it is important to heed Solomon’s warning! Your children are growing up in a world where biblical morality is deemed irrelevant. This is powerfully illustrated by how Tom Brady, quarterback of the New England Patriots, is portrayed. The media focus is on his passing skills, his leadership, his strong work ethic, his winning record, his good looks, his supermodel girlfriend, and his devotion to the infant child he fathered with his previous girlfriend. I have heard more than one sport commentator say, he has it all. ESPN.com is currently running a two part series on Brady. One of the subtitles reads a perfect life … with insecurities.