Dr. Scott Turansky

Dr. Scott Turansky offers moms practical, real-life advice for many of parenting’s greatest challenges. read bio

The Value of Generosity

by Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, R.N., B.S.N.

There is no time when we are more like God than when we give to others. Generosity opens our hearts as well as the hearts of people who receive from us. Giving doesn't mean just the money. In fact, money is one of the easiest things to give. It's much more difficult to part with our time, attention, loyalty, or commitment to others.

Giving can be exciting. Planning the surprise, delivering it, and enjoying the person's response all add joy to family life. When a family works together to be generous, something happens in the Network Factor. Family members feel a sense of teamwork. They discover family pride as a result of giving.

Giving is fun, but doing it in secret can make it even more exciting. Sometimes families will plan an anonymous gift. Hannah, age thirteen, reported that she overheard Mrs. Robertson talk about losing all her encyclopedias when her basement flooded. Knowing that the Robertsons didn't have a lot of money, Hannah's family decided to replace their encyclopedias. They went to several libraries, asking for a used set, and paid a small price for a set that was newer than the one that the Robertsons had lost. Hannah's family then decided to give the set anonymously, which meant more planning and careful strategy. Seeing a need and meeting it through an anonymous gift became a meaningful experience for Hannah's family, and Hannah saw that her observation contributed to the decision.

How can you make your family a place where honor is given away? We've identified nine suggestions for giving honor to others.

Modeling                             Hospitality                           Ministry

Service                                 Generosity                         Prayer

Speech                                 Helping others                 Adopting others

Used with permission from the book Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes…in You and Your Kids! By Scott Turansky D.Min. and Joanne Miller, R.N., B.S.N.