Respecting Younger You
I have a seared-in memory of a youth group conversation that happened many years ago. One of the girls excitedly told the group that she had just received her new iPhone earlier that day. Mid-sentence, one of her friends interrupted, "Wait, didn't you just get a new phone a few months ago?"
"Yeah, I did, but that one broke"
Another kid pops in, "This is like your third phone this school year."
"Well, fourth. They keep breaking, so I need to replace them."
Another guy jumps into the discussion. "My dad told me that if I ever break my phone, I'm responsible for buying a new one."
The original girl was shocked. "That's terrible! You'll never be able to pay for a phone on your own. That's not fair!"
I looked at the guy and asked, "How many times have you ever broken your phone?"
"Never! I can't afford to. I'm very careful." The answer I was expecting!
There's a lot to be learned from this story. It's a story of entitlement, ownership, personal responsibility, and cause and effect.
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As I picked Finn and Pax up from their band practice last night, I witnessed Finn quickly turn 180 degrees, nearly causing his electric guitar to collide with the corner of a concrete wall. If he were standing two inches closer, we would have had a disaster on our hands.
As we got in the car, I explained to him that he needed to be more careful. He replied, "Well, if something happens to my guitar, we can just buy me a new one."
"If you break your guitar, you're responsible for buying a new one, Finn."
"What!?!? That's not fair. I don't have that much money."
"Well, you better be careful. I'll show you a better way to hold it when you're not playing it, but the responsibility to take care of it is yours."
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Cause and effect is a wonderful teacher; it's also a humbling one. When handling our finances and the possessions purchased with said finances, it's imperative that we steward it well. We shouldn't covet our money or things, but we ought to respect it. Kids struggle with this, but so do many adults. We're quick to blow money, break things, spend money on things we don't care bout, lose things, continue unused subscriptions, incur needless banking fees, rack up interest, and countless other mindless anti-stewardship actions.
Again, this isn't about penny-pinching, idolizing, or hoarding. It's about honoring the fruits of our labor and making the best use of our resources. Remember, every dollar you spend on something you don't care about is one dollar you can't spend on something you do. Therefore, be thoughtful, be intentional, and ensure you're paying proper respect for the work younger you put in to earn those resources.
Oh yeah, and have a great day!
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