Monday, January 25, 2010

Chapter 4 ~ An Unfailing Prize ~ Her Contribution

Proverbs 31:11b "The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her; so that he shall have no need of spoil."

As God's beautiful woman, we are to contribute financially to our household. This makes us invaluable to our husband and our family. Then will be an unfailing prize to our husband, and he will "have no need of spoil."

In ancient times, they ways to attain wealth were:

A Military Prize ~ The Hebrew word "gain" was a military prize, also known as the spoils of war. Obviously, during the ancient times, there weren't financial institutions to distribute money as we know today. Most wealth comprised of things~ jewelry, items of gold and ivory, etcetera. When a city was overthrown, the victors would take everything of value.

A Peaceful Prize ~ War wasn't the only way to gain wealth. Many used unrighteous methods such as stealing or cheating. Like today, many borrowed it. Some even became an indentured servant ~ one who hires himself out for long periods of time ~ to earn money or to pay off a debt.

To help her husband build personal wealth, God's beautiful woman is:

A Personal Prize ~ The Proverbs woman doesn't want her husband to lack anything, but she doesn't want him to use unrighteous means to attain wealth. She doesn't want him to have to leave his family to become a slave to pay off debt ~ or to go to war where he could possibly loose his life. This amazing woman gives of herself ~ her mind, strength and talents ~ to do what she can to contribute to the household. (We'll study this in depth later on.) In the meantime, here is some food for thought from Mrs. George.

"The Beauty of God's Financial Plan"
1. God is honored ~ This speaks for itself.
2. Your husband is blessed ~ If we manage our money carefully, we give him peace of mind.
3. Your children benefit ~ Our children will imitate what we do. This is part of our responsibility to train them to become good stewards with the wealth God gives them.
4. Your home is built ~ Proverbs teaches that "every wise woman builds her house" and "through wisdom a house is built". The house that wisdom builds has "rooms that are filled with all precious and pleasant riches." Let's develop a dedicated overseeing of our finances!
5. Your character grows ~ When we use self-control in money management, we will receive the reward of lower expenses and a higher savings account.

You don't have to have an outside job to contribute financially to your household. By simply paying bills on time, you save on finance charges and late fees. Don't make the minimum payment on credit cards. Even $5-$10 more will save on the interest! With Internet banking, it's so easy to keep track of the checkbook. You can keep it balanced and always know exactly how much you have in your account, which will save on overdraft charges and check fees.

The "How-To's of Beauty":
1. Own the assignment. Understand financial matters, know how to handle them and make your contributions.
2. Become an expert at money management. There are many Christian money management classes available. For example, many churches offer classes with "Financial Peace University"by Dave Ramsey. If you want to study on your own, Larry Burkette also has books available that help in this area.
3. Talk it over with your husband. God placed our husband as the head of the home, and we have the responsibility to manage it wisely.

Let's strive to become the unfailing prize to our husbands by giving him peace about how we help manage the finances. This will not only be a tribute to him, but to our Lord.

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