As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.
—Proverbs 27:19
If you’ve ever looked into a calm body of water, you’ve probably seen your
face there. Water can give us physical reflections, but as today’s verse says, we need to look deeper to see the reflections of our hearts. If you spend your life looking at and meditating on negative things, it’s likely your heart is bitter.
If you spend your life looking for opportunities to give and share, you’re
cultivating generosity.
God loves a generous heart, as many familiar Bible stories and verses prove. However, a generous heart must be cultivated early. If you want to develop generous hearts in your kids this year, here are a few ideas your whole family
can use:
Donate often. For kids, this usually means donating old toys and books. After Christmas is a great time to do so. Make sure everything is in good condition. Adults, set an example and donate your own possessions.
Choose a family charity project. You might sponsor a child through a service such as Compassion International or collect items for Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes throughout the year.
Practice small instances of generosity. Encourage siblings to split that last cookie or take turns choosing the DVD on movie night. Offer to help your spouse with household tasks or make their favorite meal.
Teach young children the importance of taking turns. Part of being generous is knowing you can’t always be first and that you must wait patiently for your chance at an activity.
Visit people who need it. One of the best ways to be generous is giving someone your time. This could mean visiting a grandparent in a nursing home or a neighbor whose family lives far away.
Encourage pet care, especially playing and stroking. Generosity extends to those who can’t speak for themselves or tell us what they want, and for young children, pets can be a good example.
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