One of the things that attracted me to my wife, Julie (besides her radiant beauty and emerald, green eyes) was her stewardship! What you say?

When we met, she was going to college and waiting tables. I was impressed every night that the first thing she did with her tips was to record the exact amount and take 10% out of it for her tithe and put it in an envelope. I thought, “wow…she’s beautiful and she knows how to manage money…she’s the one for me!”

“One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give and only suffers want“

Proverbs 11:24

Parents, grandparents, or future parents…our culture is becoming so greedy and self-centered that we are now trying to legislate generosity.

Generosity must begin in the home as a foundational value. The following tips are designed to inspire, rebuke, and correct your thinking as needed…

1. They are watching you. Children are great observers. When you think they are not listening, they often are. You are the greatest example in your child’s life. They see when you choose your friends, your job, your hobbies, and yes, even your “me” time over them (Let me clarify–your spouse comes first!). I’m not saying some “recharge” time is not necessary (everyone needs rest), but sometimes the recharge time is a cover for being greedy with your time. Parents who demonstrate “time greed” raise children who are selfish with their time. Be generous with your time.

2. They are modeling you. The natural extension is that they emulate you. Children learn through imitation. So, when you gripe about giving, complain about helping someone out, and dissect the motives and intentions of generosity in front of your children, you are modeling un-generous/greedy behavior. (Some of these conversations may need to take place “behind closed doors.”). Be generous with your words.

3. Teach them stewardship. Stewardship is management. If you are not a good manager of the resources you have, most likely, your children will follow suit to an even greater degree of poor management. Good stewards/managers understand the principle of value. They don’t over-value or under-value the resources they’ve been entrusted with. Good stewards live at their means, not above. Too many families with easy access to credit, overextend themselves in debt and revoke their ability toward generosity because they are deeply indebted.

4. Teach them generosity. By the way, it’s hard to teach if you don’t practice it! Notice, my points build to being generous. Yes, generosity is a heart condition. Any parent knows that little children have great difficulty sharing. Sharing is the foundation for generosity. As the child grows, giving and generosity should be taught systemically, freely, and with joy. Pastor Johnny Hunt (First Baptist Church Woodstock, Georgia) says, “you are never more like Jesus than when you give!”

5. Teach them the joy that exists in giving. There is a transcendent principle in giving that moves the heart and will and mind upward. This is where the joy comes in. Let giving be wihout compulsion, but rather with excitement. There are invisible impulses of joy that radiate through your heart when you are generous! (the generous people know what I am talking about). Truett Cathy, founder of Chick-fil-A says that generosity is the cure for greed!

How does your family do at modeling generosity? Do you even like to give? I love hearing from you!