Trusted by Matt Bell

Author:Matt Bell [Bell, Matt]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: RELIGION / Christian Living / Parenting, RELIGION / Christian Living / Stewardship & Giving
ISBN: 9781684284788
Publisher: Focus on the Family
Published: 2023-04-04T00:00:00+00:00

Recap and Next Steps

We were made in God’s image, and God is endlessly generous. This means that we were designed to live generously. The Bible gives us some guidelines here. It says to make generosity our first financial priority and to give proportionately. This means that not everyone is expected to give the same amount but rather a percentage of our “increase” (any money that flows into our lives). The biblical starting point is 10 percent. As for where to give, some of the purposes God clearly cares about include spreading the gospel, helping the poor, and supporting those who teach God’s Word. Since the local church is about all three of those purposes, that’s a natural starting point and focal point for our generosity. God will also put other ministries or individuals on our hearts to support. Regularly investing in God’s purposes is one of the most satisfying things we can do with money. By fostering hearts of generosity in our kids, we will set them up for a lifetime of using money with meaning and joy.

The minute your kids receive their first dollar, encourage them to give 10 percent of it to God.

Be sure to explain the purposes of generosity. It’s a way of thanking God for all that He does for us, and it’s a deeply satisfying experience to partner with Him in helping meet some of the many needs in the world.

Make giving real for your kids. Put a face to their generosity by helping them know whom they are impacting. Sponsoring a child through an organization like World Vision or Compassion International can help.

Teach your children that, ultimately, when they give to help meet a need in Jesus’ name, they are giving directly to Jesus.

Show your kids that generosity is a lifestyle. Yes, it’s about giving money. But it’s also about bringing meals to people who are sick, having something to contribute to the conversation during dinner, and sitting with a kid who’s all alone in the cafeteria.

Encourage your kids to memorize Proverbs 11:24. It’s paraphrased in The Message this way: “The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.”

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