Numbers 16:1-3 “1 Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took action, 2 and they rose up before Moses, together with some of the sons of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, chosen in the assembly, men of renown. 3 They assembled together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, ‘You have gone far enough, for all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is in their midst; so why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?’”

Jealousy is a dangerous thing, isn’t it? Wanting what someone else has just because they have it and you don’t can get you in all kinds of trouble. Korah, Dathan, Abiram and On were jealous of Moses and Aaron because of the position God had placed them to rule over and lead the people. They were jealous of the Priesthood. Wow! If they had only known the heavy weight that was on them! Their jealousy led to the death of approximately 15,000 people.

Our children will fight this battle from an early age. What is the favorite word of a two year old? “Mine!” They want anything someone else has, especially a toy or a snack. They see it, and they want it. If we don’t teach them early how to share and how to be content with what they already have, we will see this escalate as they grow older.

One of the best ways I’ve seen for children to learn this lesson is by teaching them to give. Have your kids once a year go through their toys, books, and clothes and pick out some items they would like to share with another child that is less fortunate. Now, I don’t mean to give up that old torn up, ragged out item. Have them select something that they really like but don’t really need.

When they see the look on the face of the child or the parent when they give that gift, they will want to do it more. They will learn that everything we have should be held with an open hand, willing to give it up for someone else. What a lesson!