The time to teach children is now…

| MOSAIC Summer 2015

Our heart is to see our children grow into faithful believers.  And summer camps are a quiet refuge that provides a perfect opportunity to teach children the things of God and following Jesus.  Teaching our children is important to God.

In Deuteronomy, God’s commandments start with loving God about all else (which includes money) and then instructs us on how to live with others and to avoid all types of greed.  He then tells us to “teach our children and our grandchildrenTalk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road and when you lie down and when you get up.“ (Deuteronomy 4:9, 6:4-7, 11:18-19)

But when it comes to teaching about money, many are not sure where to start.  Try adapting these 5 keys to help them grow into generous stewards:

1.    Give first – Because this reminds us of where it comes from and because we love God with all our hearts.

2.    Live within your means – Don’t covet what your neighbour has. Be thankful and content with what God has given you and make the most of it.

3.    Avoid debt –  Debt is a trap that promises more things now. But this is a lie.  Debt does not give us more, but takes away money from our daily living with repayment and interest costs. The Bible calls debt bondage. And God calls us to live free.

4.    Save –  Savings builds flexibility for when life happens.  Without it, you cannot break the cycle of always turning to debt. It also teaches the principle of delayed gratification.

5.    Set long term goals – Setting goals tells you what you do with your money today. It also sets the focus of our heart. Jesus tells us to build our treasure in heaven – not on earth.