Moms play many important roles in the lives of their kids; we are everything from diaper changer, book reader, owie kisser, and hug giver to their personal chef and taxi driver. As Christian moms, we also have the great privilege of showing our kids the love of Christ. How can we point them to Jesus in our interactions and conversations with them every day?
Talk to your child about Jesus and faith
We talk to our kids every day, but are we talking to them about Jesus every day? You don’t need rehearsed words or the perfect quiet moment; you can tell them about Jesus anytime- while getting them dressed, while they are eating, while they are playing with their toys, driving in the car-there are so many opportunities to bring Jesus into your conversation! Talk to them about how God made them, tell them about all the good things Jesus has done for the world and most of all about His wonderful love.
them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”( Deuteronomy 6:7)
Pray with and for your child
There is no such thing as a wasted prayer. God hears all of our prayers and the prayers of our children. Your child’s prayers may start out being for seemingly small things-sick pets, nice weather for the park and no bad dreams at night time, but by showing them that we can bring these little things before God because He cares for us, we show them that they can bring big things to God too.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6)
Not just reading Bible stories, but doing them
Go into a dark room, and cover the lamp with a blanket to see how dull it is. Then take the blanket off to show what it looks like to shine for Jesus. Ask your kids, “What are ways you can be a light and shine for others?” Ask them, “What are ways we can fill up our hearts with Jesus so good things come out?” Write their ideas on the trunk and pick one to do each day. Then cut out different fruits from construction paper.
Each time throughout the week someone notices someone else showing fruit by being kind, loving, patient, forgiving, etc., write that on a piece of fruit and tape it to the tree. As we encourage our family members in loving Jesus and one another, a whole lot of good fruit will come out of our hearts.
Jesus shares how we are the light of the world and how a lamp isn’t covered but is put on a stand so it can shine. Instead of just reading about that, do it(Matthew 5:14-16).
Jesus talks about how a tree is recognized by its fruit and how our mouths will speak what our hearts are full of. With your kids, make a large tree out of construction paper(Matthew 12:33-34).
Nurture a close relationship with your kids
We can’t “be Jesus to our kids” (only Jesus can do that!) but as we connect with our children, we will begin to see natural opportunities to talk about God and help our kids get to know Him.
Develop biblical “house rules” (in a grace-filled way) or come up with a family mission statement that helps them see how God is a part of our lives even in how we get along in our own home. Clearly explain the reasons behind these rules and guidelines.
Listen to and be a part of your child’s daily life. Pray for and look for ways in which teachable moments can lead them to the Lord. Remind them always of Jesus’ love for them and that He went to the cross on our behalf.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,” (Ephesians 2:8)
Say you’re sorry
Some people think that apologizing to your child is something you never need to do. But, when they make a mistake or hurt someone we usually tell them to apologize, don’t we? If we jump to conclusions and accuse them of things, yell at them or say something hurtful to them, we should say “I’m sorry” too. We are not perfect, and we should not act like we are. We need to be careful how we use our words and be sure not to use them as weapons against our children.
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1)
“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” (Ephesians 4:29
Give them grace
When your child disobeys or does something wrong, stop and think before handing out punishments. There are times that instead of punishing them, we should give them grace. This is not always the case and needs to be done per child per incident. But, when you have the opportunity to show them grace, even in a small way, it is a picture of God’s mercy and love. This is the perfect time to have a conversation about the grace that God has given us when we didn’t deserve it and how much He loves us.
“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
Our days sometimes go by quickly, and we only have limited time with our kiddos at home. Let’s make sure to make the most of that time and point them to Jesus every day.
