It’s tough to talk about finances.
I get that.
It’s not something you talk about when guests come over.
Everybody’s life situation is different.
Discussion about checkbooks, bottom lines, and income brackets can get dicey.
But I think we miss an opportunity to give our kids a heart for missions if we don’t appropriately share how to steward resources with them.
A heart for the nations is a really just a posture of selflessness: The ability to freely give yourself, your time, and your resources to those in need.
Help kids learn generosity by seeing how finances are handled inside your own family. From annual Christmas lists, to their weekly allowances, kids are typically introduced to the ideas of money, giving, saving, and spending early on. But looked at through a biblical lens, finances can serve as great platforms for teaching about generosity.
1. Talk about giving
Your kids see you put a check in the offering plate. But do they understand where that money goes? Take some time to explain why it’s important to give to your church, missionaries, or mission organizations.
2. Watch for easy ways to give
This could take the form of leaving a generous tip at a restaurant, giving someone a meal, or donating clothing to a local shelter. If used well, financial resources can be effective tools to show kids that people are more important than money.
3. Consider scaling back your lifestyle
Jesus’ words about the relationship of earthly possessions to the posture of our hearts (Matthew 6:21) stand in stark contrast to the “bigger, better, faster” pace of our world. Consider what it would look like to intentionally scale back so you can give more.
Take the stigma out of finances for your kids.
Help them to see that income, houses, cars, and anything else that the world might overvalue are really just gifts on-loan from God.
Gifts that are meant to be shared.
This post is part of a seven-part series from Brian’s Rhodes’ book 11 Ways to Give Your Kids a Heart for the Nations. To check out the full book, click here. We’ll continue to highlight Brian’s content through March as part of our 60-in-60 campaign. We hope you enjoy it!
