Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. (Proverbs 3:27)
I can think of an instance in particular recently when our daughter felt led to bless a waitress with an additional $25 of her own money to help with any need she might have. However, in that proud dad moment, I couldn’t help but recognize that her generosity was a perpetuated reflection of the generosity of her mother who has done the same thing on multiple occasions over the years. 🙂
3. Find Ways to Love (Because Our Heart Is a Reflection of God’s).
If there is anything that we want our kids to get a hold of, it’s the lifestyle of loving God and loving people. When we teach our kids to give and serve, we naturally teach them to love.
If we can pass down the characteristic of an open-handed love to the future generation, we’ve actually contributed to a greater future difference in the world than we could have ever made ourselves.
As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. (John 15:9)
If we really want to get honest, our kids’ level of open-handedness will most likely be an accurate reflection of our own. And our open-handedness and generous spirit needs to be an accurate reflection of Christ’s.
May our heart’s desire be that of the Apostle Paul when he said, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.”
With Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner, the opportunities to be open-handed as a family will be many. Get creative. Make memories and make a difference at the same time.
In what ways does your family plan to serve others during this season?
This article about being generous and open-handed as a family originally appeared here, and is used by permission.
