I’m not the handiest guy on the block, so every time I learn to do a new home repair or maintenance project, it feels like an incredible victory. That’s what happened this past weekend when I for the first time installed new string in my grass trimmer. And I was reminded yet again how easy such projects are if you just follow the instructions.
Much the same can be said for life. When we follow the instructions and live as we were designed to live, things go better for us than when we don’t. Take generosity, for example. The Bible says we were made in God’s image and one of God’s clearest attributes is generosity. God gave us life, He gave us His Son, and on a regular basis He forgives our sins and showers us with grace.
That means we were designed to live generously, and God’s Word is filled with instructions and examples of how to do so. However, read any study on generosity and you will find that the vast majority of people give far less than what the Bible teaches. That doesn’t mean God’s intentions end up being thwarted or that projects He intended to be completed go unfinished. God doesn’t need extra funding to bring about His purposes.
It means something far more important. It means those who do not live by design miss out on the fullness of life that God intends.
The power of little habits learned early
That’s why one of the best gifts we can give our children or grandchildren is to foster within them the habit of living generously. John Rockefeller, one of the wealthiest people who ever lived, once said, “I never could have tithed [on] my first million dollars if I hadn’t tithed [on] my first salary, which was $1.50 per week.”
His point is well-taken. It would be far easier for our kids to grow up with the habits of generosity firmly established than to wake up one day at age 40 or 50, when they’re making a good salary and accustomed to using it for various purposes, and to then be challenged with biblical instruction around generosity.
I had an enjoyable conversation about how we can go about raising generous children recently with Kealan and Cody Hobleman. Together, the brothers produce The Finish Line podcast, where they encourage listeners on their journey of generosity.
If you’d like to listen in, you’ll find options for doing so at this link.
There’s also a chapter devoted to this topic in Trusted: Preparing Your Kids for a Lifetime of God-Honoring Money Management.
Living by design
This morning, it was very satisfying to look out at our neatly trimmed front walkway. I remembered how frustrated I felt when, shortly after starting the job, my trimmer ran out of string. But my sense of satisfaction returned when I thought of how I fixed the problem. By following some simple instructions, I learned a new skill and put it to good use.
For our kids and grandkids, an essential element of a meaningful life will be living generously. We’ve been entrusted with the responsibility to teach them how by word and by example.
What have you found effective in helping your kids or grandkids learn to live generously?
