Give a man a fish.....

What's the old saying? ...give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime....

Yes, I think that's it.
You know, I have friends in missions and I've read about many missionaries and one thing they will quote is this old saying. The neat part is they've proven it true. They go to these countries and people will be just sitting around, starving. They show them how to dig wells and how to garden and a few basic skills such as sewing and they progress. It's an amazing thing that happens. It effects everything, their ability to survive as well as their sense of self-worth.

When you have a group of people that are ignorant of meeting their own basic needs and/or are dependent on someone or something to provide for them, they will fail. God did not intend for man to never experience self-sufficiency to one degree or another.

1 Tim 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

Not to mention that whole reaping and sowing thing.

We have a generation coming up, that seems to have missed this teaching somewhere in their life. Yes, here in these beloved United States, we have scores of people who look to something (other than God) to meet their needs.

The trouble with that is, IT'S NEVER ENOUGH! You see, if someone pays for your groceries, why can't they pay for your house? And if someone pays for your clothes, why can't they buy you a car as well? And if they give you X amount of dollars a month, then why can't they give you more?.........That's just what happens! Greed kicks in, prices go up, more kids come along, etc. Either or all happens, and more is needed. "Some help" is never enough and if the dependence is created to rely on someone or something else, the person or society becomes helpless. They never seem to even consider that 'I could do something about this'.

I have 5 boys, as most of you know. And while I have spent most of their years providing for them, I've also had many conversations with them about their future. I've encouraged them to make plans to educate themselves in knowledge or skill that would be a means of provision. I've even went so far as to tell them that they had no right to date a girl until they had something to offer her emotionally, financially, etc. And you know what? They understand that! (Brilliant little guys!;)

Now society, you may produce kids who ask you to buy their girlfriends a dozen roses, but as for me, I'm gonna be old-fashioned.

I do not want my boys to depend on anyone else or other's tax dollars to keep them up. Nope, nope, nope!

I'm gonna be old-fashioned. I'll love 'em, keep them home as long as I can, but make them be responsible for themselves as soon as they are of an appropriate age. And I'm gonna remind them about the old lesson of 'hard work pays off'. I'm not gonna pay for their dates, but I will remind them to treat other people's daughters with respect and according to the Bible, as sisters.

I'm also going to teach them that the government was not created to keep them up. I'm going to keep showing them the forgotten word in government-- that is 'govern'. It's not Robin Hood!

I'm going to teach them to be frugal, yet giving. They are already being taught that if they are able to help others, that they should. It's just right. But also, if someone helps you, you do all you can do to return the favor as quickly as you can. (I've discovered that most things are not given without expectation.) The Bible also says: Rom 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

May God help us to train up our children in the way they SHOULD go!