Nothing is Mine

By Tabitha Keith, Director of Programs, Heart for Winter Haven

It’s September, and I’m still thinking about three days in July.

This summer, 25 young people between the ages of 11 and 19 joined us for Dollars & Sense. We talked about budgets, bank accounts, saving, spending, needs and wants, personal values, and what it means to be a good steward of what God has given us.

By the end of those three days, we could see measurable growth in what campers understood about money and stewardship. Their average assessment scores climbed from 79% to 89%, with 19 of the 25 showing improvement. The biggest gains were in knowing how to set a savings goal, understanding stewardship, creating a simple budget, and saving money for future goals.

I love those numbers. I really do.

But they aren't what I've been carrying around since July.

At the end of camp, we asked the students one question: “What’s the most important thing you learned at Dollars & Sense?”

There were some great answers. Joshua wanted to save $1,000 in a high-yield savings account. Amazing, right? Laissah planned to create a realistic budget and stick to it. Perfect. That’s exactly what we hope for. Sephora said she wanted to be more grateful for what she already had. Beautiful.

Then Alexandre wrote three words:

“Nothing is mine.”

I've thought about that answer over and over again.

The entire first day of Dollars & Sense was centered on stewardship. Before we ever got to budgets or bank accounts, we talked about values, what shapes the way we use money, and the belief that everything we have ultimately belongs to God. We aren't owners so much as stewards of what has been placed in our hands.

So when Alexandre wrote “Nothing is mine” at the end of those three days, I understood the connection he was making.

Most of what our culture teaches young people about money begins with ownership. My money. My paycheck. What can I buy? What can I afford? What do I want?

Stewardship begins somewhere different. If everything belongs to God, then money isn't simply something I earn and consume however I please. It's something I've been entrusted with. That means learning to enjoy it with gratitude, save it with wisdom, give it with generosity, and use it in ways that reflect what I say matters to me.

The question shifts from “What can I do with my money?” to “What should I do with what I've been given?”

Alexandre captured that shift in three words.

If that idea takes root at 15, imagine what it might shape at 25.

Of course, I want young people to understand the practical side of money. I want them to know how checking and savings accounts work. That was actually still our lowest-scoring area at the end of camp, so we've already learned something we need to spend more time on next year. I want them to know how to create a realistic budget, set a savings goal, and understand that spending money simply because it's available isn't always the wisest choice.

But I don't want to stop at teaching kids how to handle money.

I want them to think about what money is for.

Otlynn wrote, “When we learn what we value, we can use that to assess how we spend money.”

I love that too. Before a budget ever tells us where our money should go, our spending often tells us what we've already decided matters.

Other campers were making those connections too. Rheanna wanted to buy something for her baby brother. Samyna wanted to use her money to bless others.

Those answers tell me something an assessment score can't. They're beginning to connect money with something beyond consumption. They're connecting it to values, gratitude, preparation, generosity, responsibility, and the people around them.

And that matters because money will eventually become much more complicated for them. There will be paychecks and bills, credit cards and car payments, unexpected expenses and opportunities to earn more. There will be pressure to keep up with people around them. There will be things they can technically pay for but can't truly afford. There will be moments when spending feels easier than waiting and moments when generosity costs something.

The financial habits they develop will matter in all of those moments. But underneath those habits will be something even more important: what they believe about the money in their hands.

Is it mine to consume? Is it proof of my success? Is it security? Is it something I have to hold tightly? Or has it been entrusted to me to use wisely, prepare for the future, care for myself and the people I love, and bless others?

That is a much bigger conversation than budgeting.

Yes, our campers' financial knowledge increased by ten percentage points. Some left knowing how to make a budget or set a savings goal when they didn't know how before. Those are outcomes worth celebrating.

But somewhere during those three days, a teenager found three words for something I hope he carries much longer than any financial formula:

Nothing is mine.

I'm not sure I could ask for a better return on three days in July.

One step to take this week

Ask a young person in your life, “What do you think money is for?”

Then resist the urge to teach right away. Listen first.

You might discover they're already wrestling with much bigger questions than we give them credit for.