I have a good friend whose father was a two-term governor of our state—the youngest governor in the state’s history, in fact. So my buddy spent eight years as a little boy in the Governor’s Mansion. That family spent their time and energy invested in politics. Their dinner table conversations were about public service. Just by sitting at the table, he learned everything his dad knew about how to govern wisely. Is it any wonder that my friend grew up to become a U.S. congressman? It’s a family tradition.
I have another friend whose father was a master mechanic. Growing up, he and his dad talked shop all the time. They spent several hours a week lying under or leaning over cars, rebuilding engines, and talking about carburetors. My friend soaked it up like a sponge. is it any wonder that my friend grew up to be a serious gearhead? It’s a family tradition.
Parents tend to teach their kids about the things they feel competent with. Sadly, most parents don’t feel competent—or confident—to teach the next generation about money. and so they never say much about it. But guess what? Even if you don’t say a word, you are teaching your kids how they should handle money. They’re watching you. They’re listening. And they are going to do what you do. That’s kind of scary when you realize that 70% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. Most families are one missed paycheck away from a total financial disaster. None of us want our kids to face that kind of pain and pressure. We love our kids! We want to set them up to win, to go farther and do more than we ever even dreamed of!
MANAGE MONEY GOD’S WAY
Proverbs 22:6 tells us to ‘Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. ” l think that’s a financial principle. If we, as parents, train our kids well—by teaching them to manage money God’s way, that debt steals their hope and future, and how spending, saving. and giving really work—then we’re setting them up to win as adults.
That only happens if we are intentional about talking to our kids about this stuff. So here’s an idea: Talk about it! Change the dinner conversations. Throw a brick through the TV and make time to change their financial future! Make handling money God’s ways a new family tradition.
Read more about Smart Money Smart Kids at smartmoneysmartkids.com.
This article by Dave Ramsey is from Volume 12 Issue 2 of Pastor Resources.
Dave Ramsey is America’s trusted voice on money and business. He’s authored five New York Times best-selling books: Financial Peace, More Than Enough, The Total Money Makeover,EntreLeadership and Smart Money Smart Kids. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 8.5 million listeners each week on more than 550 radio stations.