Brian Carpenter, pastor of Foot Hills PCA, has written a very timely article entitled, “Poverty & the Delay of Gratification.” It is full of practical insight that we all should immediately apply to our families.
Here are a few quotes to whet your appetite:
“The main difference between rich and poor is not birthplace, or education level, or the area of the country, or the quality of the schools. It’s not the local economy. The main difference between rich and poor is the ability to delay gratification in anticipation of greater rewards down the road. There’s an old country saying that’s full of wisdom: “Don’t eat your seed-corn.”
“Why does the average American family have $16,000 in credit card debt? Why was the savings rate, up until very recently, less than 0%? Why are most people upside down on their car loans right now? Why is consumption and consumer activity dropping like a rock? Why are we obese? Why are heart disease and diabetes skyrocketing? (I say this as a fat man who needs to take his own advice.) Because we are psychologically unable to delay gratification. Because we’ve had our faces planted in our bags of seed-corn, and we’ve eaten them all the way to the bottom, and now we’re in trouble. Now there’s nothing left. That is the root cause of the Second Great Depression, which we are now in, and which shows no real signs of abating.”
Do you commit yourself to reading the entire article–especially if you are a father.
(HT: Tim Bayly)
M. Scott Foster is a former youth pastor and church planter. He currently is studying pastoral theology at ClearNote Pastors College in Bloomington, IN. You can contact or follow him on Google Plus.
