Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

Many parents avoid teaching their children about money because they themselves feel like they don't have a mastery of financial concepts. We'll discuss teaching these concepts from a biblical perspective this week with Mike Smith on Home School Heartbeat.

Mike:


In the gospel of Luke, Jesus admonishes his disciples to "take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."


Does Christ's call to be free from the love of money mean that we should not teach our children to be financially wise?


Of course not! Instead, we need to teach them the proper use and attitudes toward money so that when they are grown, they will be prepared to live financially responsible lives-able to minister as God calls them without the hindrance of heavy debt or the snare of covetousness.


One of the earliest and most valuable lessons we can teach our children is that we can trust God to meet our needs. We do this through our prayer of thanksgiving at mealtimes and as we bring our petitions before Him during times of family worship.


As children mature, the next step is to help them begin differentiating between wants and needs. From here you're ready to begin teaching your children the key financial concepts related to spending, earning, saving, and giving. But remember, your children will be quick to internalize what you do before they absorb what you say. So your first challenge in teaching your children about money will be to make sure your money attitudes are in order.


And until next time, I'm Mike Smith.