Children in their formative years are dependent on their parents in
almost every way possible. Our kids look to parents to feed them, to
shelter them, to clothe them, sometimes even to protect them when
necessary. More importantly, our children are dependent on parents to
help them spiritually.
Proverbs 22:6 teaches us to "train up a
child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart
from it." In what areas do we have to train our children? Here are seven
values that every Christian parent should teach his or her children.
Faith
It's
often a child's default to place their faith in their mothers and
fathers, and as good as it is for kids to learn how to trust their
parents that faith and trust for earthly parents should never go beyond
their trust for their Heavenly Father. Parents can teach their kids how
to put their faith in God by always reminding them that every provision
and blessing comes from God, whether they're asking for a certain toy or
receiving their day's meals.
Prayer
As the old
saying goes, "a family that prays together stays together." It's
extremely important that kids are always given an example to follow in
leading a life of prayer and devotion. Practices as simple as regularly
praying before meals, and taking some time in the evening to pray for
each other go a long way in building the value of prayer in children.
Compassion
As
important as it is to teach justice and discipline to our children, we
must also constantly portray and explain compassion to kids and
regularly practicing visible compassion. Taking time to get your
children involved in compassion projects such as feeding programs and
ministry amongst the urban poor can be great ways to build a value of
compassion that we must have for those in need.
Hunger for God's Word
Beyond
the earthly wisdom that parents can provide their kids, there must
always be the wisdom that comes from the Word of God. The great news is
that the Bible is so full of knowledge that children can learn and apply
to almost every area of their life. However, what use is it for parents
to teach kids how to read their Bible when they themselves are not in
love with God's Word. Teaching the Bible to kids is an outflow practice,
meaning we can't teach our kids what we ourselves have not yet
consumed.
Integrity
When parents and guardians
teach our kids integrity, they don't have to worry about what their
children do behind closed doors. The best ways to teach integrity is to
always remind them that even if people don't see their deeds and
misdeeds, God does and what they do in private heavily affects what they
do in public.
Humility
Psychology Today states
that pride is something that reflects as early as early childhood. Pride
isn't all that bad. It helps build confidence in children, but just
like anything else in this world too much of it can be detrimental.
Parents teach their children humility best by explaining how our
confidence comes from God and not ourselves.
Competence
No
one wants unsuccessful children. Competence is one of the most
important keys to future success for our children. The best way to teach
children competence is to encourage them to pursue a craft or art that
they can become good at. Don't limit their options, but rather allow
them to explore.
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/7.values.to.teach.our.children.to.make.them.grow.into.godly.men.and.aomen/77955.htm
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