Giving: The Value of Sacrifice (Part 3)
In conclusion to this series of articles, let me give some ideas of ways that a teenager can learn to give back to those who invested in their lives without getting something in return.
- Have your teenager find a job once a month or semester at church that needs done. This should be done without prompting a staff member or raising a banner. As parents, we need not to act as though this is a wonderful event.
- Find another young person in the youth group that financially is hurting and have your teenager work to get some funds for them anonymously. Maybe money for a teen trip or some funds for some personal items.
- As a family, find a staff member to pray for and do something for once a semester or every 3-4 months. The kids can leave notes and special tokens of appreciation. These all should be done anonymously also.
- Find a missionary overseas to send letters and gifts to.
- Spend some time with an elderly person or widow in your church. This could be in the form of outside work or inside work. Checking up on them, doing some mowing, or just simply bringing a game or book to their house and talking with them.
We all have selfish tendencies, and as we learn the Biblical way of giving, our selfish tendencies will be weakened. Becoming more like Christ means to give as He gave Himself. Are you helping your youth to be unselfish, God-honoring people in the preaching, teaching, and activities of your church?
Let me close with a story from Russian folklore entitled Fortune and the Beggar by Ivan Krylov.
One day a ragged beggar was creeping along from house to house. He carried an old wallet in his hand, and was asking at every door for a few cents to buy something to eat. As he was grumbling at his lot, he kept wondering why it was that folks who had so much money were never satisfied but were always wanting more.
Here, thought he, is the master of the house—I know him well. He was always a good businessman, and he made himself wondrously rich a long time ago. Had he been wise he would have stopped then. He would have turned over his business to someone else, and then he could have spent the rest of his life in ease. But what does he do instead? He took to building ships and sending them to sea to trade with foreign lands. He thought he would get mountains of gold, but there were great storms on the water. His ships were wrecked, and his riches were swallowed up by the waves. Now the hopes all lie in the bottom of the sea and his great wealth has vanished like the dreams of a night. There are many such cases. Men seem to be never satisfied unless they can gain the whole world. As for me, if I had only enough to eat and to wear I would not want anything more.
Just at that moment Fortune came down the street. She saw the beggar and stopped. She said to him, “Listen! I have long wished to help you. Hold your wallet and I will pour this gold into it. But I will pour only on this condition: All that falls into the wallet will be pure gold; but every piece that falls upon the ground shall become dust. Do you understand?”
“Oh, yes; I understand,” said the beggar. “Then have a care,” said Fortune. “Your wallet is old, so do not load it too heavily.” The beggar was so glad that he could hardly wait. He quickly opened his wallet, and a stream of yellow coins was poured into it. The wallet soon began to grow heavy.
“Is that enough?” asked Fortune. “Not yet.” “Isn’t it cracking?” “Never fear.” The beggar’s hand began to tremble. Ah, if the golden stream would only pour forever! “You are the richest man in the world now!” “Just a little more” said the beggar. ” Add just a handful or two.” “There, it’s full. The wallet will burst.” “But it will hold a little more, just a little more!”
Another piece was added and the wallet split. The treasure fell upon the ground and was turned to dust and Fortune had vanished. The beggar had nothing now but his empty wallet, and it was torn from top to bottom. He was as poor as before.