I live in an older house with a non-refurbished kitchen. So if you and I ever got the chance to share a cup of coffee at my kitchen table, let’s just say you’d have to be okay with kitchen cabinets that have a certain 1981 flair. Oh, and cereal boxes that are stacked on top of our refrigerator because we have no pantry.
In fact, for years, I groaned about that, saying (or thinking) things like, “It would be so nice to have a pantry. If we had storage space, then I’d be happy.”
Did you catch it? I was doing the if/then thing. And if you’ve ever found yourself in that trap, you know that it gets exhausting. Why? Because discontentment is exhausting.
Discontentment doesn’t just affect us. When we model this and other cues about money, possessions, and God’s provision to our kids, we are also—intentionally or not—laying a foundation for their future views. Wouldn’t it be refreshing to send our young people into adulthood with a firm handle on what I’ll call the Three G’s: Gratitude, Generosity, and Grace?
Each one is essential for us to grasp. And when we do, we also give our kids (or any of the young people in our lives— I’m looking at you, grandparents, youth leaders and children’s volunteers) a template for grasping them, too.
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