I learned years ago that the measure you give is the measure that returns to you. Putting God first in your finances is very important. Everything we are and everything we have is from God and belongs to Him.
“Riches can disappear fast… so watch your business interests closely. Know the state of your flocks.” Proverbs 27:23-24 (LB)
“Plan carefully and you will have plenty; if you act too quickly, you will never have enough.” Proverbs 21:5 (GN)
“The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets.” Proverbs 21:20 (LB)
“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have.” Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)
“Honor the Lord by giving Him the first part of all your income, and He will fill your barns… to OVERFLOW!” Proverbs 3:9-10 (LB)
Building a healthy marriage is rewarding, but it won’t just happen without being intentional. After 34 years of marriage, we’ve learned success can only be found in a Christ-filled marriage. The Bible is full of practical examples of what God’s design for marriage truly looks like.
“and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him” Luke 17:4 (ESV)
“A bowl of vegetables with someone you love is better than steak with someone you hate.” Proverbs 15:17 (NLT)
“Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.” Proverbs 15:4 (NLT)
“Kiss me again and again, for your love is sweeter than wine.” Song of Solomon 1:2 (NLT)
“Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.” Proverbs 19:11 (ESV)
A positive example is vital for your kids health and future well-being. Parenting requires patience and a whole lot of grace, both for our children and for ourselves. The journey through each stage of their lives looks different, but a consistent godly foundation can make all the difference.
“Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” Colossians 3:12 (NLT)
“And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.” Deuteronomy 6:6-7
“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)
“Never stop praying.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NLT)
“Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s hands. How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!” Psalm 127:3-5 (NLT)
Being single doesn’t mean being alone. In fact, for some it’s the way God intended life to be. For those who have the desire to experience marriage, your single living days should be spent being content and preparing for the future God has for you, whether married or alone.
“Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them.” 1 Corinthians 7:17 (NIV)
“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
“Yet each person has a special gift from God, of one kind or another.” 1 Corinthians 7:7
“The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.” Psalm 84:11 (NLT)
“More than anything you guard, protect your mind, for life flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23 (CEB)
We see from Jesus in Luke 2:52 a perfect definition of living healthy. It has less to do with diet and exercise, while that’s part of it, and more to do with your physical, spiritual and emotional well-being. To live the extraordinary life God has for us it requires purposeful living in all these areas.
“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22 (NIV)
“A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones.” Proverbs 14:30 (NLT)
“It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.” Psalm 127:2 (NLT)
“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:2 (NIV)
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)