Passing Along Life Skills
As believers, we should equip our children with life skills that will help them to grow closer to God and to be assured that they will be safe in the arms of Jesus.
Have you ever considered what life skill you would like to pass to your child? As you think about that question, take some time to think about what life skill you have learned that has changed your life or made a huge difference. In our current culture, we can teach our kids a life skill that will make a difference in their lives. That skill begins and ends with the knowledge that they are never alone in this world. No matter what they face in life, they can be assured that they are safe in the arms of Jesus.
So, how do we teach children to spend time with God? First and most important is how we, as their role model, live out our own faith. Let your time with God be visible to your kids. Let your child see you in God’s Word and after you read a passage explain to your child what that passage means and how to apply it. Even if you have a young child, you can give him a simple explanation to explain the passage you read.
Next, find a Bible that is appropriate for their age. Give them a Bible, not just materials that have Biblical principles. Put God’s Word in their hands, so they can read it themselves or, with a younger child, read it with him. Talk to your child about finding a time every day to be in God’s Word, and most of all teach your child to spot the truth of God’s Word in his everyday life. As situations arise, you can find training moments to point out how the Bible they are reading applies to their real life now.
Let’s not forget to spend time in prayer with your child during their Bible time every day. Prayer is a powerful tool available to help your child understand that he always has God near him. Help your child to reach out to God and in prayer talk to Him about things that are important to him, things that are bothering him, and things that he is thankful to God for. How thankful you will be as you watch your child mature in his own faith and make decisions based on God’s Word.
In addition to prayer, find times to talk to your child about how God is present in your own life. Let children see that God does answer prayer; sometimes the way we want to see it answered but sometimes maybe not the way we want it answered. Through this focused time your child will begin to realize that God is sovereign, and he has a plan for each of us.
As believers, we should equip our children with life skills that will help them to grow closer to God and to be assured that they will be safe in the arms of Jesus. Let’s go back to the question that was asked in the beginning: what life skill have you learned during your life that has changed your life or made a huge difference in your life? Teach that skill to your child and see them grow and shine with the love of Jesus.
By: Fran Thompson, Ph.D.
Woodmen Kids Coordinator
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