SETTING FAMILY PRIORITIES

Which of these order will you like to adopt in your home:

God…Family…Money or God…Money…Family or Money…Family…God?

God…family…money, is the catchy order and I believe that’s what most people will prefer but in reality it is always Money…family…God for a lot of people and in some it’s money, money then God and family in distant third position. This arrangement should never be assumed. Let your partner know your stand and get him or her committed to God, family and money, and for the unmarried, this should be discussed and agreed on before the wedding date.

You will have to remind yourself of your choice few years after your wedding. There are people whose passion for money is not born again and you need to help influence their view before marriage, after which little or nothing can be done.

If you see a man or woman that can do anything for money, please run for your dear life.

Someone once said “if the devil can give him billion in exchange for his soul, he will gladly trade his soul for him, that of what use is his soul if he is poor…” I’m talking of a real person here. Love of money is tearing homes and churches apart, never assume your partner is not a money freak. Inability to be financially open to one’s spouse, especially if you have agreed to run a Christian home is an indication of an underlying financial distrust.

1 Timothy 6:6-10 “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

And if I may add another fourth, church and church activities. Never allow church activities to take the place of your spouse, children and family welfare. You can’t serve God without your family, that’s not His mind. Always carry your family along in your work with God. So it should be: God…family…church…money. That’s how God wants it. Any other arrangements is selfish and unbiblical. A happy family makes a happy church and not the other way round.

Transparency breed intimacy and intimacy breed trust. If you trust your partner you will make your finance open to him/her. All official family records should bear your names or any names you both agreed on, including next of kin.  Your spouse is your next of kin, this can only change to your children if you both agreed on it.

No one party (wife or husband) has moral right to make changes without the knowledge of the other, in A CHRISTIAN HOME.

In Christianity there are standards, they may not be popular, many people may not be practicing them but Bible standards cannot be changed. Man and wife are ONE. As long as you cannot have a secret account without your own knowledge, so is your partner, you are one and same in Christ Jesus. You may not like the idea, but that won’t change Bible standard.

Is either we have Christian marriage or not. There are so many variations out there but most are far from the standard.

“And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously (deceitfully) against the wife of his youth” – Malachi 2:15

Running a secret account or any form of financial secrecy (or any other) by either party is an act of deceit. They were both naked (open, no secret, transparent) and were not ashamed (Genesis 2:25), that did not just apply to marital sexual consummation, it also apply to all areas of the marital life including finance, next of kin and having property. There can be no better way to happiness than this – obedience. Christianity has been bastardized on all fronts God is depending on our generation to make a difference. The fact that many people have refused to abide by divine rules for Christian home does not change God’s expectations from families.

“If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them” – John 13:17

May God count on you and find you faithful.

Advice:

All these marital priorities should be discuss by those already in relationships where necessary, and those that are not should have in mind, the need for such a time.

Olumofin Kehinde Benjamin writes for Praying Parents Prayer Group Christian Ministry (3pG)