Stewardship, pass it on...

I just calculated that if my kids start working at age 15 and invest $35 each week until age 65 (at 6% return) they could retire on $500k. If they make the same contribution starting at age 35, the total would drop to $136k. Or, if they contribute that same amount starting at age 5, the total goes up to $918k! This is just an example of the impact money management can have over a lifetime.

Money management is an important skill at many levels... individuals, marriages, families, communities, corporations and governments. Teaching this skill is one of the most significant ways we can help our kids improve their future.

Even now I give my preschooler a bit of change each week and he has five banks where he divides the money - share, tax, retire, save, spend.

Good management of our resources, whether money, belongings, food, water, fuel, etc., is not only a practical concept, it is also a spiritual one. We are called by God from the beginning of creation to use with care and consciousness the resources we have been given. It does not happen by accident, but with intentional management.

"The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it." Genesis 2:15

Management on a more personal level is called stewardship, and it is an important piece of developing a full character of integrity. Even above being stewards of our resources, we are stewards of our souls and the souls of those around us. What does that mean? I believe it involves seeking spiritual truth, sharing what we discover, treating others with respect and being an example of virtue.

"'You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart,' declares the Lord."

Jeremiah 29:13

"The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!"

Galatians 5:22-23

Imagine that the numbers I mentioned earlier are not dollars but lives of people. How many could you impact if you start intentionally investing today?

Stewardship is a lifestyle, it demonstrates self-respect, respect for the resources we have been given and respect for those before us, around us and after us. May we strive as individuals to be good stewards with our lives, and may we motivate others who are watching.