Encouraging a Generous Heart
As our church thinks about Generosity together – I’d like to encourage you to include your children in this discussion. Generosity is an interesting habit to consider for children – the very youngest don’t really even understand possession – that’s why teaching them to share doesn’t work very well. Learning permanence and possession has to come first, then the child can begin to orient themselves in time and space. And, often, it’s true that the value and worth of what they have to give is insignificant. However, the habits in their hearts of generous living are always valuable.If your child is old enough to understand that they have to wait a whole year for Christmas or their birthday – that is a sign that they are at a great age to start really understanding what generosity is and what sacrificial giving looks like. The response you get if you try to force sharing earlier than this will most likely be confusion or resistance. However, because they don’t gauge value or calculate worth in the same ways that adults do, children have a unique ability to freely give. The same child who won’t share a toy with her sibling may willingly give away a whole bagful of toys to strangers.
As you watch a child getting older and more able to share, you may also notice an increasing reluctance towards generosity. They get to a point where they’re willing to let go for a time – but they expect it back (whatever it is! Even non-tangible things like friendship, kindness, or smiles) because they understand that what they have is theirs and they are trying to order the value. They are in a process of orienting themselves to the value that people place on things. You may notice different behavior at school, home or church, as the child reaches this age because even their "worth" of their behavior is being calculated. It’s harder, then, at this age to freely give away. It is, in fact, a life’s work to be formed in the mind of Christ. (Philippians 2:5-7) "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men."
Children’s minds and hearts are always shifting and growing. There are such distinct beauties to each developmental change but also their own challenges. No matter our age, our hearts and minds are captivated and encouraged by story in a way that direct teaching or instruction rarely influences. Stories can help shape our understanding, our thought patterns and our relationship with the world around us.It is because of this shifting, changing, growing nature of children and the unique power of story that I would like to suggest some books that I believe are worth your time. I hope you’ll accept this invitation to sit down with your children, grandchildren or friends’ children and read a few of these over the coming weeks.
As a bonus – all of these books that I recommend are available through the Greensboro Public Library. I hope you’ll enjoy them with a child in your life and that you will all be encouraged and built up in love.
Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing some reviews of books for children of all ages on Facebook & Instagram. At the end of the series, I'll list all of them here on the blog. Don't hesitate to reach out to me if you want more information about any of the coming suggestions and be watching on social media for the suggestions!
Leah Wall
