I’ve been thinking a lot lately about impact. Impact on the world around me, yes, but even more specifically, the impact I’ll have on my children.
The biggest, most important impact I could have on my kids is sharing the love of Jesus with them. It’s one with lasting implications and it’s not a job I take lightly. Brandon and I have been called to be parents to these two children, and help them grow to love and follow Jesus. We have to be intentional when it comes to sharing the Gospel with our kids.
We can all help our own children love Jesus. Here’s how.
1. Pray as a family
Modeling prayer to kids is a very important part of a faith-filled life. Yes, letting our kids see us pray can be useful, but most of us probably pray silently and not while our kids are right next to us…so they can’t see us doing it. But praying as a family shows our kids that prayer is important. It also sets the framework for how to pray. As our kids have gotten older, they almost exclusively lead us in our before-meal prayer. We’ve shown them how it’s done, and now they are confident enough to pray, out loud, and even when others are present.
2. Encourage daily devotionals
Our kids are elementary aged, so the devotionals we read with them are kids’ devotionals. They are short, quick reads and use language and situations that kids can relate to. We want something our kids are willing to do, even at the end of a long day, so picking a 3-5 minute devotional is just the ticket for younger kids. It gives them a Bible verse, a message, and a prayer–everything they need to start practicing spending time with Jesus each day.
3. Go to church
I know, super obvious, right? But setting the tone now, while kids are young, creates a good habit that is more likely to continue than if church-going is sporadic. When we make going to church a priority, we’re showing our kids that it’s important and intentional, not just an afterthought for if we happen to wake up early on a Sunday morning.
4. Buy them a Bible
We have several children’s Bibles in our home. Our kids each accumulated a few–one for their baby years, a storybook Bible, the pop-up version…you get the idea. And when our daughter learned to read, she got her first actual Bible, graduating from stories to actual books, chapters and verses. Buying a Bible can be fun and exciting to do together! And as your kids grow up, you can replace the version, from storybook to elementary age to a young adult or women’s/men’s/regular versions.
5. Talk about God
We don’t shy away from talking about God, our questions, or what we’re reading in our Bibles in front of our kids. This year, Brandon and I are both reading the One Year Bible, so it’s been fun to read it apart but then come together to discuss it. We’ve been openly having these conversations with the kids around, because it’s a great way to model 1) Bible reading 2) communication and 3) accountability. We’ve been able to weave them into the conversations too!
Of course, there are SO many ways to point our children to Jesus and his love. What ways would you add to this list? Share your ideas with us!
Co-Host & Teacher at Faith Focused Family
