Biblical Advice for Happy Families and Avoiding Poverty

In today’s have-it-your-way society, where biblical morals seldom dictate behavior, more and more people are having children outside of marriage. Yet, new research proves this pattern to be unwise—specifically from a financial perspective. The 2017 research from AEI and the Institute for Family Studies demonstrated a three-step process for family financial success: “1) Earn at least a high school diploma, 2) get a full-time job, and 3) marry before having kids. Only three percent of millennials who followed all three steps, in sequence, are poor by the time they reach their late twenties or early thirties... On the flip side, more than half of millennials who didn’t follow the sequence are in poverty” (MSN, July 10, 2017).

Long ago, God laid out the same basic pattern. Not only did He direct for children to be born within a healthy marriage between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24; Malachi 2:15), He also directed humanity to “Prepare your outside work, make it fit for yourself in the field; and afterward build your house” (Proverbs 24:27). The key is to prioritize your life and deny certain desires until major goals and milestones are accomplished. Wisdom and self-discipline are important keys. For more keys to a successful life, view “The Seven Laws of Success,” Parts one and two.