Lesson 2: Using What God Gives You Wisely
This lesson is part of a 7-week series. It’s best to do previous weeks before moving ahead to this one. Lesson 1 can be found at https://elizabethgriffin.com/teaching-your-child-to-be-generous/
Lesson Aim:
To grow in our understanding of how to handle money wisely. Everything we have is from the LORD, and we want to steward it for Him.
Activity:
Assemble materials for each person to decorate/label four boxes to use for their money:
- Box #1 is for Tithing—Explain that whenever we earn or are given money, the first thing we do is give 10% of it to God. We do this in obedience to God’s Word (talk about Malachi 3:10 “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.”). We also do it to show God that we trust Him to provide everything we need, and that it all belongs to Him.
- Box #2 is for Saving—The second thing we do whenever we receive money is to save 10% of it for the future. This is for something we want and need a lot of money to buy, for college, or investing, or when we need money and don’t have it.
- Box #3 is for Essential Spending—The third thing we do with money is pay all our bills and buy the things we need (food, gas for the car, etc.). For kids, this might mean having some cash on hand for presents for family birthdays, using some of this to give to someone in need over and above tithing, etc.
- Box #4 is for Fun—All the rest of the money goes in here and you can spend it anyway you want to.
- Give each person an amount of money in increments that can be easily divided and have them put the correct amounts in each box to reinforce this teaching.
Main Lesson from Activity: God wants us to use our money wisely. He gives us good things to enjoy, and He also wants us to give back in tithe and to save for unexpected needs.
Scripture:
Luke 12:15b-21 (Jesus said) “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’
“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
Responding to God’s Word (Discovery Bible Study):
- Read the scripture passage for today out loud three or four times, with someone different reading it each time. Then ask these questions, allowing time for everyone to respond:
- What does this tell me about God?
- What does this tell me about myself (and people in general)?
- How does God want me to respond to this? Does He want me to change something, to repent of something, to take action (obey)?
- What will I do to obey God this week?
Pray to end your Devotional time:
- Use this time in prayer as another opportunity for your family to learn to communicate with each other and the Lord. Consider these formats for your prayer time:
- After listing prayer requests, ask one person to open and another to close, and tell everyone they are welcome to pray for one of the needs on the list in-between those prayers
- Divide up into pairs and have people pray for each other (pair older siblings or a parent with younger children)
- Use the acronym ACTS to pray—Adoration (praising God for who He is); Confession (admitting anything you’ve done wrong and asking forgiveness); Thanksgiving (thanking God for your life and God’s blessings); Supplication (praying for the needs of others).
Thanks to Damir Spanic on Unsplash for photo.