I could have no greater joy than to hear
that my children live in the truth. 3 John 1:4
Isn’t that the desire of every
parent? That their children live in the
truth? As our kids grow up they are
going to hear and see so much in this world – from TV, friends, advertisements,
teachers, music, etc. Much of that will
NOT be the truth so it is our duty to make sure they do hear the truth. Statistics show that parents are the biggest
influencers in their kids’ lives. Even
though it doesn’t seem like it, our kids really take to heart what we say and
teach them. Although we should be
diligent in teaching them how to be good students, citizens, and friends, we
should also be diligent in teaching them the things of God. At North Side we have our Parent Summit which
helps parents do just that. This event
reminds us all that our kids are going to grow up and go through certain
milestones in their lives and encourages us to be their spiritual leaders
through those times. Some things you
will learn:
If you have a newborn, you can
begin each day to pray for your child, sing him songs about Jesus, and talk to
him about how much God loves him. If you
have preschoolers, you can begin to pray with them and encourage them to talk
to God, and you can begin to read the Bible to them (even a preschool Bible
story book) to expose them to the great word of God. You can show them God in everyday life
(rainbows, family, how God made us unique, how God gives us food, etc). If you have elementary age kids, you can show
them how to pray and spend time with God each day on their own. You can learn how to answer their questions
about God, salvation, baptism, and other spiritual matters.
If you have adolescents, you can
share with them that though it may be confusing sometimes to know their identity,
that they have a unique identity in Christ – that He made them for a
purpose. You can help them through
physical changes that will inevitably take place and help them become
comfortable with their bodies. Purity is
always an issue with adolescents – and they will certainly get their fair share
of opinions on this matter from the culture.
It is imperative that kids hear God’s truth on this matter. Parents of adolescents can learn what the
Bible says about purity, dating and sex.
Eventually your child will
become an adult. Don’t we want our adult
children walking in the truth as well?
Parents can learn what the Bible says a Man and Woman should be and help
train their kids accordingly. As much as
we don’t want to think about it, someday our kids will leave home and start
lives of their own. What a better way to
prepare your child for independence than to teach them apologetics (or reasons
for what they believe), how to trust God’s plan for their lives, tools for
dating and marriage, and basic life skills like time and money management.
While the church will be with
you every step of the way on your parenting journey, God has called you to be
your child’s primary faith trainer. Keep
that in mind as you walk with your child through life. Remember that if you want your child to walk
in the TRUTH, you should be the one to teach it to them.
Submitted By Tamra Guiteriez
