Parenting by Design - December 20

Price is Not Value

1 Tim. 6:9: People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction (NIV).

At the present time in America, we are experiencing an economic recession. People are losing their jobs, savings and their sense of well-being. Many will be required to simplify their lives as a result of the crisis. This may require giving up some of our luxuries in order to maintain our necessities. When we do that, we will have to separate those things that have a high price from those that have great value. Price and value are not the same thing.

Hardship can be good for us, if we use it as an opportunity to examine our lives for excess and rid ourselves of the unnecessary. Forced discipline is better than no discipline at all. It also gives us a chance to talk to our kids about where we place our trust—in the One who will always provide everything we need. "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness" (2 Peter 1:3 NIV).

Use hard times to show your kids the difference between price and value.