Growing a Family: Teaching Gratitude

Luke 12:15"Then he said, 'Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.'”

Proverbs 28:25"Greed causes fighting; trusting the Lord leads to prosperity.

Greed is not something you need to teach. It just so happens by our human nature we are inclined to want more, want what we don't have and want what someone else has. It is a deceitful condition of our heart.  

As adults, many of us have found ways to "hide" or justify this heart condition or make it seem like our greed is culturally acceptable. As an onlooker, we too have on our rosy colored glasses and dismiss this for what it really is: SIN.

Young children on the other hand have little to no filter. They have not yet learned the "art" of self-preservation when it comes to this sin. They see it. They want it. They take it. (And as parents and caretakers we are left with shepherding their young deceitful hearts).

So what do we do? Our children are fighting over a toy. They are not satisfied with the special, once-in-a-while dessert treat, requesting more. The toys, clothes, etc. are just simply not enough. The words formed out of their sweet mouths reflect the struggle and battle that is going on within their hearts. (Luke 6:45: for his mouthspeaks from the overflow of his heart.)

As a response, we turn to the scriptures for training and guidance. We fall on our knees in prayer seeking Wisdom from the One who holds the universe. We question God, seeking areas in our own life where we might be reflecting and unknowingly teaching this behavior to our children.

This is not a battle easily won. It is deeper than just "stuff." It is a lack of recognition and understanding of who God REALLY is and how He will ALWAYS provide for His children. In a way, it is saying that what Jesus did on the cross was not enough. Some reading this might think this is a stretch--- talking about the simple object of a toy to a deeper theological issue such as Christ's death--- yet it is connected. Going back to the 10 Commandments in Exodus 20, we can see that many of the commandments are rooted in this notion of greed which is why God warns us so that we can be on guard.

The challenge is figuring out how to translate this to a 3-year-old. The ideas of appreciating what you have, being content and satisfied, the concept of giving and sharing. And even more convicting, living these things out in our own lives before calling out our children. We can take away their stuff (natural consequences); we can minimize their closet full of toys; we can force them to give their things away but the root problem is still there: sin. The ugly three letter word that the enemy tries so hard to use to distract us from living our life as co-heirs with Christ. 

So I conclude this blog post with not a "10-simple ways" list to teach our children gratitude but rather a plea to see the deeper spiritual issue and pray. Pray. PRAY. for the wisdom that only God can give. As you do, PLEASE SHARE! :) Many of us struggle with this sin (whether it be us or our children). Lets join together, support each other and speak truth in love, sharing what the Lord Himself is revealing. 

Romans 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.