• Over 2,350 verses talk about money (riches, wages, treasure, silver, gold, wealth, etc.). That’s twice as many as the number of verses that speak about faith and prayer combined.

• 15% of everything Jesus said was on the topic of money.

• 1 out of 7 verses in the first three gospels speaks about money.

Yet, money and finances are usually not taught in school, and parents seldom teach their children these subjects at home. In church, conversations about money usually culminate with the idea that “money is the root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6:10).

End of discussion.

Let’s take a closer look at that verse: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 6:10). Can you see how the verse says that “the love of money” (not money itself) is a root of all sorts of evil? That is, the greedy desire for money and the willingness to gain it unethically have caused some to wander away from the faith. A very stern warning, yet it’s not encouraging us to remain uninformed on such topics as financial planning, the avoidance of debt, building a budget, saving for the future, and most importantly, teaching these principles to our children.

Sven Tornlov, the Associate Treasurer and Planned Giving Director of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the British Columbia and Yukon Conference, believes that we must not only recognize this need but also teach our children that their daily decisions about money will affect the rest of their lives.

“Building a budget and sticking to a budget means financial discipline today, for the sake of your future well-being.” Sven advises. “In order to do this, many will have to break the habit of dining at expensive restaurants, buying new cars every two or three years, and regularly spending $5.00 or more on smoothies or hot drinks. Financial planning is designed not to prevent your enjoyment of life but to help you obtain the things you want and need.”

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6). After quoting this well-known Bible passage, Sven elaborates: “And this includes trusting the LORD in the area of building a budget. This is necessary because we are not really living until we are out of debt. Doesn’t the Bible say, ‘The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender’? God doesn’t want His people living in bondage. There’s no freedom when you are enslaved to debt.”

Sven believes the first step in teaching your children about financial discipline is being a good role model. “If you live from pay cheque to pay cheque, more than likely your children will too. But if you save money, tithe and give abundantly, your children will likely adopt these same money habits.”

To hear more of Sven’s no-nonsense insights and practical strategies to help you help your children, grandchildren, and students make confident financial decisions throughout their lives, simply watch It Is Written Canada this month on CTV or the dozens of networks where It Is Written Canada is aired across Canada and around the world. Or go to iiw.ca or It Is Written Canada’s YouTube videos and click on the program entitled: “Training My Child in Financial Matters.”