RE-focus!
As my wife and I train our daughters in regards to money, we have chosen, as most parents do, to place the last part of Acts 20:35 as the Biblical foundation. The verse ends with Paul reminding us that Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” I am sure you would agree with me that the commercialism of Christmas has created an even greater challenge for parents! Over the last several years my wife and I have discussed multiple options to help redirect our daughter’s perception with this very important issue.
As my wife and I train our daughters in regards to money, we have chosen, as most parents do, to place the last part of Acts 20:35 as the Biblical foundation. The verse ends with Paul reminding us that Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” I am sure you would agree with me that the commercialism of Christmas has created an even greater challenge for parents! Over the last several years my wife and I have discussed multiple options to help redirect our daughter’s perception with this very important issue.
As our daughters get older, the Christmas gifts they desire have become exponentially more expensive. Every year, their wants and desires outweigh the money allocated for gifts. They do not seem to understand we have a limit on the money that can be used to buy gifts. Some years, my daughters have not dealt well with getting some, not all, of their Christmas list. Age may be a small part of the equation, but our human nature (selfishness) seems to play out no matter what our age.
To help take the focus off of ourselves, we (I have to admit my wife spearheaded this effort) pursued and implemented several different programs in which we participate. The first is the Operation Christmas Child. Our daughters have grown to love shopping for and then packing a box which is sent to a little girl somewhere in the world! If you are not familiar, go to www.samaritanspurse.org/occ/, to get a full understanding of the program.
The second thing we do at Christmas is to pick one item out of the Samaritan’s Purse gift catalog. You can request a catalog or look online. (https://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/Giving/gift_catalog/) The catalog is surprisingly extensive. You can pick anything from providing a meal to helping build a missionary hospital! Our daughters know that $20 of their Christmas money goes to purchase something out of the catalog. I have to tell you that I have been overwhelmed as I watch my girls look and pick out the items they choose. Disclaimer: I have absolutely no affiliation with Samaritan’s purse. They are simply a fantastic organization that we trust.
I believe we are making some headway in our effort to re-focus on the true meaning of Christmas but we have still a long way to go. What are you doing to help your kids place their focus on the true meaning of Christmas?
