1 of 1

Key Bible Verse: "Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me!" (Malachi 3:8). Bonus Reading:Mal. 3:8-12

I was impressed with my dad's God because my dad modeled and reinforced the unseen realities of the spiritual life. His God answered our family's prayers.

He was a hard worker and did a lot of overtime to support his wife and four daughters—ten hours a day, and five to eight hours on Saturday. He didn't work Sundays usually, but every now and then his tool and die shop would have to open extra hours when the automobile assembly lines changed models. Time was at a premium. Everybody had to work or shut down and not make schedule. Although Dad didn't want to, he would work Sundays for the sake of his employers.

One of those times, Dad did something important to me as an impressionable adolescent, and he didn't even know it. He said, "I make double, sometimes triple time when I have to work on Sunday. We could sure use the money, but it's the Lord's Day. So along with my tithe, I give all of Sunday's wages to the Lord, too. It's His day." My dad wasn't living for this world's goods then, and today at 75, he still doesn't. His eyes are on eternity, and his godly life is still pointing others to Jesus.

—Gail Ledbetter in Family Fragrance

My Response: Does my family know what drives my earning and spending?

Thought to Apply: Making of money is necessary for daily living, but money-making is apt to degenerate into money-loving, and spoil our spiritual life.

—W. H. Griffith Thomas (British and Canadian theologian)

Adapted from Family Fragrance (Cook, 1998) by permission.

Copyright © 2003 by the author or Christianity Today International/Men of Integrity magazine.
Click here for reprint information on Men of Integrity.

 1 of 1

Prayer for the Week

Lord, make me a manager to whom You can confidently entrust Your resources.

				Try an Issue of Men of Integrity Free! Name Street Address City/State/Zip E-mail Address No credit card required. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only. Click here for International orders. If you decide you want to keep Men of Integrity coming, honor your invoice for just $19.95 and receive five more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The trial issue is yours to keep, regardless. Give Men of Integrity as a gift Buy 1 gift subscription, get 1 FREE!

FREE Newsletter Sign up for the Men of Integrity Newsletter    RSS Feed   RSS Help