Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – November 27, 2015
Guest Writer: Meet my son-in-law Tripp Prince. We are blessed to have him as our guest writer.
The righteous gives and does not hold back. Proverbs 21:26
If your home is anything like mine, Christmas lists have already begun, with your children discreetly (or not so discreetly!) letting you know the deep desires of their hearts. In my home, these desires largely consist of large, brightly colored toys and anything linked to the Disney movie, Frozen. As parents, we love to give good gifts to our children. In fact, I think we find more joy in giving than our kids do in receiving!
As we enter into this holiday season, I want to encourage you to give your kids an intentional gift: help them navigate the holidays so that they enter the new year talking more about what they gave than what they received. It is so easy for our children to think that the entire world exists for their desires, wants, and needs. Yet Jesus reminds us “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). Even our children can offer gifts to the glory of God and for the life of the world.
If this sounds great at a value level, but you’re clueless on how to begin to take steps in this direction, fear not! You’re certainly not alone, and this isn’t something we can learn overnight.
To grow in this lifestyle of gratitude and generosity, I would stress that we as parents must be intentional in this area. Generosity and gratitude must be nurtured and sought out in our lives. Simply put, generous living isn’t a default mode but a purposeful decision. If you’d like to buy a gift for a family in need, put a shopping trip on your calendar right now. Look up service opportunities in your community and find a time to serve those in need as a family. And if you’ve never talked to your kids about the countless ways that money can be a blessing to others, then take time over dinner this week to do so. Small but intentional steps in the right direction can lead to significant growth over time.
When we as parents prioritize this way of life our kids see its importance. Therefore, in the midst of the busyness of the next few weeks, let us be intentional with how we use our time, and look for creative ways to lead our families into deeper and richer lives of faithful and generous living.
Prayer: Father, may we respond to your great love for us by giving freely of ourselves so that we can be a gift to others.
Application: What act of generosity can you do this week to be a blessing to someone in need?
Related Readings: 1 Chronicles 29:14; Proverbs 14:21; Romans 12:8; 1 Timothy 6:17-19
Post/Tweet: Generous parents find more joy in giving than their kids do in receiving! #generousparenting #WisdomHunters
Worship Resource: 5 minute video- Chris Tomlin: Good Good Father
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