This post is one that I have wanted to write for a long time. Or, at least, I have been thinking about it for a long time. I wanted to share some thoughts on what I am doing to help my kids to know Christ. Obviously, there is no right or wrong way, and if there was, my thoughts may not be on the “right” list. But after lots of thought, prayer and advice seeking, I have come up with a few things.
This whole topic started weighing on my mind a couple of months ago. Justin and I host a small group for our church at our house. We meet either weekly or every other week, depending on what’s going on, and discuss a book that we are all reading, a sermon series, etc. We have great couples in our group and we really love doing it. There are 4 couples, including us, and 6 kids ages 4 and under. The problems is: what do you do with 6 young kids while trying to have meaningful conversations with other adults. Our solution: we don’t know. Anti-climatic, I know. The solution to that question is not really the point of this post. What we TRIED to do, was shoo the kids to the boys’ bedrooms and expect them to play together happily for an hour. Not sure how we expected that to work. My own TWO kids can’t play unsupervised for more than thirty seconds before hell breaks loose and I have to go put out a fire. (Not literally…..yet). Our ridiculous expectation led to frustration on the parent’s part, and then ultimately, the realization that, DUH, we are asking way too much of them.
And, yet, I still was trying to figure out, how can we distract these kids so we can have some peace and quiet and get something out of this time together. And then it hit me. Why in the world are we trying to un-include our kids? What about my life purpose? Remember this post? You know, where I said my LIFE PURPOSE is to teach my kids to know Christ? Where does it say I should send them away while I talk to other people about Christ? That thought changed my entire mindset about how to approach things. We don’t have the perfect solution for what to do with kids during small group, but it totally changed my perspective on the direction that should head. More than that, it made me think about our lives in general, and what we are doing to teach them about Christ. How are we showing them what it means to live a life following Christ? What does that really look like for a 3 and a 1 year old? What do you do? What do you say? So here are my thoughts, they fall into 2 general categories:
(Please note: I most definitely am not trying to tell anyone how to raise their kids. The point of this is to encourage and maybe give some ideas to others who may be thinking about this same stuff)
LEAD BY EXAMPLE:
Probably the biggest factor here is that I need to be spiritually on track. This one is interesting because in some ways, I waver back and forth between thinking that as the mom, I have a lot of say in how my kids think, are raised, and how they turn out. But, on the same token, they are ultimately in the hands of God, in His control, not mine. Keeping that big picture in mind is important. So while my job is to fulfill my purpose, the ultimate responsibility does not lie on my shoulders. I need to do all the things I am supposed to, but God is in control.
- Spending daily time with God is, for me, invaluable. Reading, praying, verse memorzation, etc. I like to do it in the morning before the kids are up. It helps me to start my day in the right mindset and keep things in perspective. In my internet searchings on this whole topic, I came across this post on how to create a successful quiet time which I thought had a lot of helpful hints.
- Pray for them. Probably a no brainer, but I sometimes feel at a loss for WHAT to pray for. This is a cool list that has helped give me some structure and broadness for how I pray for them.
- There are probably a gazillion Bible verses that pertain to being a mother, but for some reason, this one has really struck a chord with me:
“Using a dull ax requires great strength, so sharpen the blade. That’s the value of wisdom, it helps you succeed”. –Ecclesiastes 10:10
That is maybe a bit obscure in how it relates to parenting, but in my mind, it means BE EFFECTIVE, sharpen yourself, and you will be a more effective parent. I want to be a wise, successful parent. So, my goal is to always work on sharpening myself.
- Be humble, be honest, grant yourself some grace when you screw up. I have to remind myself of that on a daily basis.
TEACH:
There are TONS of tools that you can use to help teach them the message of Christ. Do you NEED these? Of course not. But, I felt like I needed something tangible in my hands to use. Things to help me know HOW to say things at the level of a toddler.
- Kid Bibles: Thad has A Child’s First Bible, which is good, but I also got The Jesus Storybook Bible based on some recommendations from friends. I really like it, it tells the bible in short stories that have a beginning and end, unlike the Child’s First Bible, which is continuous. I just find it easier to have a start and stop point when reading to kids. For some tips and thoughts on reading the Bible (in any form) to kids, read this article.
- Devotionals: I had never really thought of this as an option for little kids but was inspired by this post about Gathering for Devotions as a Family. I LOVE this idea. I really needed some help in relaying Biblical info to them at their level, and a devotional has helped me do just that. I read lots of reviews on Amazon and ended up getting The One Year Devotions for Preschoolers and Five-Minute Devotions for Children. They are both really good, the One Year Devotions has short, simple stories that apply some Biblical principle, with a short memory verse and a rhyming prayer. If your kids love animals, the 5 Minute one is AWESOME. There are only about 25 devotions, but each one talks about a different kind of animal and describes how a certain trait of that animal is God-given and applies to us also. The illustrations are cool and it is super kid friendly. Thad loves it. We read the one year one in the morning after breakfast, and I read the animal one to Thad when we put him to bed.
- Prayer: Not only do I want to pray FOR them, I want to pray WITH them. This blog post has some great tips on Teaching Your Children to Pray. Want some ideas for kid style prayers at the dinner table? Here is a good list (from this blog post). She also has some good ideas for teaching kids The Lord’s Prayer, which our church is big on.
- Music: I have yet to meet a kid who doesn’t love music. What a great way to teach them about God! I use You Tube a lot at home, but haven’t really found a great list of kid-style worship songs, so we have stuck to Wee Sing Bible Songs, which has literally 62 songs on it and includes a book with the lyrics and hand motions for each song. Pretty much all you need (or can handle for that matter….kid songs get stuck in your head rreeeeaal quick).
That’s about as far as I have gotten. Big picture wise, I want to teach them to follow THEIR purposes (again, from The Purpose Driven Life, the 5 purposes are Worship, Ministry, Mission, Fellowship and Discipleship). So with that as our big goal, we will work on moving in that direction over time.
Some other great ideas, tips and resources:
Top 5 Bible Verses for Toddlers to Memorize
Anyway, just some thoughts to share. This has been a new effort in the last month or so, and I am still working on how it looks in our daily lives. It’s a starting point, and I just want to keep them moving in the right direction. “Up and to the right”, as our pastor would say. I want to raise good kids. But more than that, I want to raise kids with a good heart…a heart for God.
I love this Nicole!!!!
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