Leaving More Than Money

Jesus talked about money more than heaven or hell. He did so because money reveals the heart, and a heart un-discipled in this area can wreck a life. If that is true for us, it is true for our children.

Bethany Frymire of Blue Trust recently made a point worth passing along--teaching children to handle money is not mainly about math or budgeting. It is about shaping character. A child can grow up able to balance a checkbook and still be ruined by what money does to an unguarded heart. Skill without character is not a blessing and can be detrimental to one's welfare.

Children start learning about money long before their first allowance. They watch how we spend, what we worry about, and whether giving is a joy or an afterthought. Research suggests the foundation is largely set by age seven. Stewardship in the home is caught at least as much as it is taught, if not more. What they catch from our actions will either undergird or undermine what they hear us say.

So the word for parents, grandparents, and mentors is intentionality. Deuteronomy 6 tells us to talk of God's ways "when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way." That includes money. What does God's Word say about debt? About the love of money that never says "enough"? How do we save for tomorrow and still give generously today? These are kitchen-table and car-ride conversations, repeated over years. Remember, consistency is highly underrated.

In summary, if we leave our children an inheritance without first leaving them a heritage of character, we have not done them a favor. We must prepare their hearts  and teach them at a young age that it is all God's, and we are simply managing it for Him. If we do that little by little, day by day, we will leave them far more than money.

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Steve Crawley, PhD

BMA Financial

Executive Director