Stewards of God’s Gifts: A 3-Day Marriage PlanChikamu

Hitting the Jackpot

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

Matthew 19:24

Do you ever dream of winning the lottery? It may interest you to know that about a third of all lottery winners go bankrupt within five years and that another quarter of these instant millionaires wind up selling their remaining payments at a discounted rate to pay off debts. People who are reckless with ordinary paychecks are just as reckless with bigger ones.

Rather than fantasize about hitting the jackpot, we should strive to be better stewards of what we have. Handle credit cards—if you must use them at all—with great care, and do everything you can to stay out of debt, one of the foremost marriage destroyers. Make purchases with cash when possible. Establish a family budget and stick to it. Remember to give at least 10 percent of your earnings to the Lord—after all, everything is His, anyway.

Above all, make sure you spend less than you earn each month. It takes discipline, but this simple formula will go a long way toward establishing a worry‐free atmosphere in your home.

Just between us . . .

• Most people around the world would consider the average American income a jackpot. Do you?

• Are we saving money instead of falling into debt?

• Would we benefit from establishing a family budget or revising the one we have?

• Are we tithing?

Heavenly Father, You bless us with so much. Even when money is tight, we know You care for us. But we often fail to be responsible and to honor You with how we manage money. Help us to know and live by Your wisdom. Amen.

Excerpted from Night Light for Couples, used with permission.

For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. (Ps. 50:10-11, ESV)

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:19, ESV)