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Wisdom Pill · Day 23

The Candy With a Price Tag

August 23, 2026 · For the grown-ups to read with the kids

Before anything else: God loves you for free, without charging anything in return, and that's true every single day.

Imagine a friend from school gives you a piece of candy. Pretty nice, right? You say thanks and eat it.

Except the next day, he comes up and says: I gave you a piece of candy yesterday, so now you have to let me win the game. And the next week he brings up the candy again. And again.

That's when you realize something: that wasn't a gift. It was a trade dressed up as a gift.

A real gift is different. Whoever gives from the heart just gives, and forgets all about it afterward. Have you ever noticed that Grandma never brings up the gift she gave you?

Today's verse warns about people who give just so they can collect later. It's good to learn to spot that, but there's an even more important part: making sure you don't do it to other people.

So when you lend your toy, really lend it. When you help a friend, help and forget about it. Don't keep bringing it up to them afterward.

And here's the biggest gift of all: Jesus gave his life for us and never, ever brings it up to make us pay. He gave because he loves us, full stop.

A real gift is one you forget you ever gave.
Family Challenge

Today's challenge is called The No-Bill Gift.

At the end, talk about it: was it hard to stay quiet about the good thing you did?

This time's challenge: No-Bill Gift
Family Prayer

Lord, thank You for giving to us for free, every day, and never charging anything in return. Help our family give without expecting anything back, and help without bringing it up later. Teach us to notice when a gift comes with a bill attached. And thank You that at Your table we can sit down owing nothing. In Jesus' name, amen.