God and Your Kids

We, as parents, are living in a unique time. Normally you would have only a few hours in a day with your child, a precious time for your family to connect; that is now 24/7. We have become their teacher as well as their parents and for some this is a difficult task. As challenging as school at home is, there are many resources available to help. But what about God?

Children need Him in their lives now more than ever! Before the pandemic a child would go to Sunday school and learn all about God on their level. Now with everything online, many families are coming together to stream church services, which is wonderful and highly encouraged; however, kids still need their own way to connect. A child that attends an adult service can be like teaching a 5th grader college level math and expecting them to understand. So how do you keep God in your child's life?

Talk to and about God

One of the first things we need to do is help children build a relationship with God. My husband and I have incorporated God in our lives like a third parent that is always there and totally involved in every aspect. Any event big or small, God has been apart of it all. I have frequent conversations throughout the day with Him, when I cook, during a walk and of course when I wake up and before I go to bed. By talking to Him and thanking Him throughout my day, I show my children the relationship that I have with the Lord.

Talk about blessings

Not too long ago, my kids and I were in the van driving to church when a vehicle was trying to come on to the highway. Instead of yielding, the car sped up and cut right in front of the semi-truck in that lane. This sent the semi swerving right at us almost sending us into the guardrail. Right there, during the chaos, I just started praising Jesus and thanking him for his protection over us. It was truly a blessing! Simply by pointing out situations where God has intervened in your life or the lives of others, is an excellent way to talk to your child about God’s blessings.

Demonstrate godliness

God wants parents to teach their children both what to do and how to live. With that being said, children see and hear everything you do and actions really do speak louder than words. When a child see that your faith is authentic, it encourages theirs. Our children need to see us humble ourselves before God, asking for forgiveness, following Christ and showing our unconditional love. If a child sees their parents praying, studying the Bible and upholding God’s standards, they are much more likely to do the same.

Make God a priority

We are the first to teach our children about God. Sunday school is a wonderful place for children to learn about Him, however, if you want your child to keep their faith, don’t pass the opportunity to teach them onto someone else. Home is the primary place kids learn about God, intentionally or not. The best part: being a theologian is not required to teach your child about God. Just be a loving parent who longs to have your child love and develop a relationship with Him.

Pray with and for your child

Daily prayer is a foundational part of every Christian’s life and our children must learn its importance as well as how to do it. On my wedding day, I learned the most important lesson about prayer as a parent. My mother in law stood up to congratulate us and at the end of the speech, turned and looked at me with tears running down her eyes and said she knew I was the one for her son because she prayed for me. That struck such a powerful chord in my soul. Ever since then my husband and I have prayed over our children about everything. As they got older we began incorporating prayer in their lives so when something big happened they knew they could turn to their Heavenly Father.

Talk and listen to your child

Does your child have questions about God? Good! Don’t avoid or dismiss their questions. It can embarrass them for even asking in the first place and detour them from trying again. Rather, you should affirm your child’s curiosity of faith by providing age-appropriate answers. If you are unable to answer their question, make it an activity to find the answer together. Questions, even challenging ones, are good for your child’s faith. When a child gets real answers, their faith is more likely to become real.

Teaching and developing our children is one of, if not, the most amazing and important tasks in all of creation. God blessed you with them so that you can raise up the next generation of believers. None of us are perfect at the job, but we also can't afford to neglect it. Of course, it will be each of our children’s personal decision whether to accept that calling from God. However, that does not diminish the responsibility and privilege we have to help our children build a relationship with Him that can last for all eternity!

Emily Croft