My wife recently bought me a book of quotations from Mother Teresa of
Calcutta. If you can find such a book I
encourage you to get one. Teach your
children to be generous the same way you teach them anything.
Children are amazing. They can be taught amazing things. Children can be taught to kick a soccer ball,
set a volleyball, and hit a golf ball. Children
can be taught to play the violin, skate forward and backwards, and operate a handheld
electronic device. Children can also be
taught to be generous and to put the needs of others before their own. Children can be taught to appreciate what
they have. Children can be taught to
share.
If our children are going to be generous then generosity needs to be
the lifestyle and cultural value of our home.
Generosity does not just happen by wishing or wanting it. Generosity needs to be as high a passion and
priority as the other high passions and priorities of your life. Generosity takes work and effort.
Mother Teresa was a generous woman.
We need to highlight and profile generous people in our children’s
life. Children look up to pro athletes,
actors and actresses, and musicians.
Children should also be encouraged to look up to generous people.
There used to be a commercial with Michael Jordan. The jingle went like this: “I want to be, I
want to be, I want to be like Mike.” Can
you imagine children wanting to be like Mother Teresa or someone like her?
Ask yourself right now, “What kind of person do you want your child to
grow up to be?” Would you like your
children to be good at sports or music, math or science? What if you were to say, “I want my child to be
a generous person.”
For you and me to raise generous children requires more than a casual
conversation or a handful of change in the Salvation Army bucket at
Christmas. We need to help our children
set tangible and sacrificial goals with clear objectives that benefit others in
need. Our children will benefit from
knowing that they are blessed beyond measure and that their generosity makes a
difference in the lives of others.
Here are three ways I have taught my children to be generous. I want to stress, however, that generosity is
not just doing projects and generous things. Generosity is being a generous
person from the inside out.
1. At birthdays, do not have children bring gifts
for your child. Rather, pick a charity or a disaster relief and have children
bring monetary gifts or food items to be given away.
2. Have your children mow lawns or shovel the snow
off walks for free.
3. Teach your children to budget their money with a
set percentage always to be given away. Start small, like 1 or 2 % with the objective of reaching a goal of 5%
or 10% or more
Jeff Sippy, a Dad-In-Training, is the father of three young men and the husband of Cindy. He enjoys sailing every chance that he gets. He is the senior pastor at Redeemer Lutheran in Springfield, MO and can be reached for question or comment at jsippy@rlcmail.org
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