October 20, 1968 – Mamo Wolde of Ethiopia, looking as fresh as when he started the 26 mile race, crossed the finish line at Mexico City Olympic Stadium, the winner of the marathon.

Over an hour later, a few thousand spectators remained, waiting for the last of the runners to finish the race. Although 74 contestants began the race, only 57 would cross the finish line. Many were carried off the course to first-aid stations, utterly exhausted.

As the remaining onlookers prepared to leave the stadium, the sound of sirens and police whistles cut through the cold, dark night. A lone figure entered the stadium, his leg bloodied and bandaged from a severe injury during the marathon.

Grimacing with each step, he hobbled around the 400-meter track. His name was John Stephen Akhwari from Tanzania – the last man to finish the marathon. The spectators rose to their feet, cheering and applauding as though Akhwari were the winner.

The next day, Akhwari fielded questions from sports journalists about his extraordinary feat. “Why,” a reporter began, “after sustaining the kinds of injuries you did, would you ever get up and proceed to the finish line, when there was no way you could possibly place in the race?” John Stephen Akhwari said this:

“My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race. They sent me 5,000 miles to finish it.”

Selected concepts of the above content generated by David Holwick’s Sermon Illustrations 2.0

Would you like to finish well? Ask for a FREE copy of “5 Secrets of Good and Faithful Servants” by contacting Steve Hilbrands from Grace Bible College at 616-538-2330 or  Steve Hilbrands

This is general information and is not intended to be tax or legal advice. Please consult your own advisors.

God calls parents to teach, encourage, and faithfully guide their children. They have been given a special trust to serve as stewards or managers of their children. Yet even with the biblical challenge of teaching and training children, parents are not responsible for the decisions their adult children make – each person is held accountable individually. Parents are accountable, however, for the guidance they provide to their children. Here are some basic principles to help you in this special calling:

1. Help adult children understand God’s principles. God can be trusted to take care of your child’s needs after they leave your home – that includes providing for them financially and showing them how to follow Him as they learn to handle money His way. “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, but happy is he who keeps the law” (Proverbs 29:18).

2. Continue to offer appropriate guidance to adult children. Although adult children are responsible to make their own decisions, offering wise counsel along the way is an important way to show love to your children as they navigate the joys and challenges of life. “For whom the Lord loves He reproves, even as a father, the son in whom he delights” (Proverbs 16:26).

3. Allow adult children to fail. Some of life’s most valuable lessons are learned because of trying and failing. Although it is difficult to watch children struggle, parents must sometimes love their children enough to allow them to fail so that they can learn from the failure. Many parents attempt to buffer their children financially, which often makes the problem worse.

4. Encourage dependence on God. More money won’t help adult children change their spending habits. Parents may have sincere motives for helping their children, but sometimes they encourage dependence on parents rather than God. If God is trying to teach the children discipline and parents step in, the children may have to go through the challenge all over again. Parents sometimes have do what God often does with His own people: allow problems to come into their lives and withhold finances to increase their dependence on Him.

5. Provide assistance with caution. There is nothing wrong with helping adult children if they are truly in need. If their income is adequate and it is being mismanaged, parents need to let their children know that although they love them, any financial help must be contingent on the children establishing a workable budget and getting good counsel to help implement it. Parents need to be cautious, however, and allow God to lead them in a manner that will not thwart His purposes in their children’s lives.

Selected concepts of the above content generated by Crown Financial Ministries. This information is broadly educational in nature. Please consult your own advisors.

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This is general information and is not intended to be tax or legal advice. Please consult your own advisors.

Christians believe that God is their refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble and times of uncertainty (Psalm 46). This bold declaration is as true today as it was when it was written centuries ago, and is a great source of comfort and strength as younger and older workers alike observe several emerging retirement planning realities:

Demographics. As the members of the “baby boom” generation — people born between 1946 and 1964 — approach retirement, the demographic profile of the U.S. workforce will undergo a substantial shift: a large number of older workers will be joined by relatively few new entrants to the labor force.

Longevity. The number of senior citizens is skyrocketing. The United Nations reported that as recently as 2002, 10 percent of the world’s population was 60 or older. By 2050, that percentage is expected to increase to 22 percent (larger than the percentage of children ages 0 to 14).

Medical Advancements. Medical and Technological advancements such as better medicines, cell phones, and scooters have improved the mobility and activity of older people compared to previous generations.

Employer Needs. Companies are using more part-time and workers as well as independent contractors and consultants to reduce costs and maximize flexibility. These positions often fit the needs of both retirees who desire temporary work, but also suit the employers who value dependable, experienced help.

Lower incomes. Low yields on certificates of deposit made it challenging for seniors to live off the interest on their savings. Stock market fluctuations have also eroded the asset bases of many retirees, prompting many to return to work to supplement their incomes.

Source: Congressional Research Service and Faith-Based Family Finances.

Would you like some Christian perspective on your retirement planning? Request a FREE copy of “Let God Make your Retirement a Re-Firement” by simply contacting Steve Hilbrands from Grace Bible College at 616-538-2330 or Steve Hilbrands

This is general information and is not intended to be tax or legal advice. Please consult your own advisors.