Stewarding Money And The Gospel With Children

You only have a few years to teach your children about money.

The Apostle John said: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” (3 John 1:4) Well, I agree! But I also know how great it feels when children are paying their own bills. So how do we prepare them for that? We model a life of love and thanksgiving. Whenever possible, acknowledge that God’s the owner of everything. Explain that He gives us the responsibility of managing whatever He provides. We seek His wisdom in giving, saving, spending, and investing because we want to be found trustworthy. The goal is not to teach children to simply manage money well, but that they manage it for God’s glory. Discuss these truths as you go about life knowing that children are always watching and listening.

Make three little banks for them: one is for giving, one for saving, and one for their spending. Nothing fancy is required. Mason jars will work fine. Or you can use a 3-ring binder with pencil pouches to separate the money into each category. We had our boys give 10%, save 50%, and use the remaining 40% for spending. They need to learn to plan for future events and gift giving so they don’t blow all the money on themselves. Encourage excellence, but don’t expect perfection. God forgives and we should too. Offer words of praise far more than your corrections. They long for your approval, and may they know that God gives us management positions over His resources, and ore importantly, He loves us so much that He gave His only Son. 

Now giving before year-end will be doubled through our Matching Challenge, and you can receive my new e-book “7 Gray Swans” as a thank you for your generosity! Please give today at crown.org.