It’s often said, “Whatever is rewarded is most often repeated.” This principle should be considered when encouraging generosity within your family.
There are three primary motivators for just about everything we do in our spiritual lives: love, reverence (some call this “fear”), and rewards. This last one is often forgotten. The rewards of generosity can be found in this life and the next!
Put your progeny in a position to be generous. Catch them being generous. Praise them for it. Then bring the story of their generosity to your family.
Here’s an example: encourage your teenage grandchild to sponsor a child in need (of the same age) with you. When the two of you receive correspondence from your sponsored child, read it aloud with the family, maybe at a family celebration. Then, as a family, you can celebrate their faithful generosity and the impact it is making.
After a couple of years, let your grandchild know that if they will continue giving, you will celebrate their generosity by taking them to meet their sponsored child!
Celebrating generosity is a beautiful picture of training up a child. It will teach them some of life’s most important lessons and will encourage a heart of generosity for the rest of their lives.
