Bringing Your Family Into Focus - Day 5

We’re talking this week about how to have healthy family relationships. By looking at the acrostic PLUG, we can learn about how to strengthen our family. In a car, there are many parts that make an engine work. Each part is crucial to power an engine, but one item puts a spark in the life of the engine. You see a spark plug doesn't create power, it transfers power. It is a conduit that takes the power and creates a spark that ignites the fuel. Our lives need to be "spark plugs" for God. We need to be a conduit for God's love and power to the world we live in, including our families.

P - Praise
L - Love
U - Unity
G - Giving

In order for us to have healthy families, we must model the importance of generosity and giving.
One of the biggest impacts that you can have on your children is not what you say, but what you do. When your family sees you giving of your time, your talents, your gifts, and your money, then they will see you put your love for others into action

Our country is going through some rough economic times, and our area has been greatly affected by job losses. It is in times like these when Christians need to make an impact on their communities. To do that we must get ourselves out of debt so that we can help others in their time of need.

Did you know...
• The number one cause of divorce in America is related to financial issues?
• 75% of American churchgoers live paycheck to paycheck?
• The average American today has over $38,000 of consumer debt.

So we have the haves, the have-nots, and the have-not-paids.
According to Social Security records, the majority of Americans have less than $250 saved when they reach the age of 65. How much did Americans save last year? The average American went 2.2% in the hole.

Our finances are very important because they represent our time and energy. The money that we have is a direct result of the effort that we expend at our job. God trusts us to manage his resources. The principle that we must embrace is that everything belongs to God. God is the owner, and we are the stewards, or the managers.

In the James 2:15-17, we read
Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

Our heart and compassion are demonstrated through our generosity. If we are enslaved to debt, then we are not able to help those who are in need. If you are struggling in the area of your finances, then use the following websites to develop a budget and a plan to manage your money. Don't let your money manage you.

Joe Sangl came to Cornerstone last year and shared how to effectively manage your money. He has a great website listing free tools that you can use as you budget and plan. Check out his Next Steps website here. He also has a great book titled, I Was Broke, Now I'm Not.

Dave Ramsey is another Christian who provides many different resources on getting your finances under control. You can visit his website to learn more about the resources he provides.

Next Steps for Today:

• schedule a budget conference with your family for some time in the next week. Look over spending habits and look for ways to reduce your spending
• develop a budget and stick to it. Use the money you save to reduce debt and give to others.
• using the tools from Joe Sangl's website, determine you debt-free date and track your progress.
• look for ministries and individuals that need assistance and give generously

Prayer for Today:
Lord, You have provided everything we have. All that we have is simply something You blessed us with. Please constantly remind us of this truth. We know we are blessed and we desire to be a blessing to others. Please soften our hearts in this area. Please teach us to be obedient to you and not to our worldly desires. We praise You and want you to receive glory and honor from our faithfulness in this area.