Teach your children about money...

With the economy as hard hit as it is, kids maybe asking "Why can't we buy this, Mom?" I am so reminded that it is never to late to teach our kids fiscal responsibility. Everyday there is a "teachable moment" to use to instruct our children as to how we spend the resources God has given. To instill in them as early as possible, that we "own" nothing...that everything we have is for us to steward for God takes a disciplined plan. Here are some great ideas on how to get started. They were posted on Titus2 blog.

1. Teach your children to love Christ more than anything else by loving Christ more than anything else.
2. Teach your children that every good thing comes from God and not because Daddy has a job.
3. Teach your children that Daddy has a job because God has given him a job.
4. Teach your children to be thankful for all that they have by being thankful for all that you have.
5. Continually thank God with your children for all that you have.
6. Continually thank God with your children for all that you do not have because Christ is better by far.
7. Pray with your children for those who do not have.
8. Give to those who do not have.
9. Teach your children to be good stewards by looking after property, clothes and toys.
10. Teach them not to worry about what they will eat or wear by trusting God for all that you need.
11. Don't spend what you do not have.
12. Share what you do have.

David and I have been planning a trip to Sweden to see my family. The economy being in the state it is, has postponed our purchasing the tickets. We have prayed and waited for flight travel cost to go down. Last week, we knew we had to make a decision, so David asked me to gather the kids and go over some ideas. So I gathered the kids at dinner and told them of the difficulty we where having, but we thought maybe we could "charge" the tickets and then pay for them later. What great comfort we received when they responded with this question" If you put the tickets on a credit card, that is still money we don't have...right Mom?' and I said "that is true...but we can take this opportunity to go with the rest of our family and trust we would pay it later" Two of the girls responded, "That would not be a good steward of what God has given us now...would it mom?" And I had to say that it would not be. So we decided now is not the time...It would be testing God to presume on Him that the money we don't have we would have later. What a great lesson that was to walk with the kids. They showed great Biblical understanding of "do not spend what you don't have" I thank God that they are learning this at a young age...I had many years of heartache because I did not live by that Biblical principle.

Who would have thought that all those years of "saying no...we don't have it" has payed off (excuse the pun) in such a wonderful blessing? God is faithful to remind our kids of His trustworthy principles if we teach them.


More tomorrow
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