‘That things will go well for you and your children.’ Deuteronomy 4:40 NCV

As a parent, you’re constantly transmitting your values to your children, so do these:

(1) Let them see you pray. Help them to understand that prayer is how we build a lifelong friendship with God. And they will need His friendship when you’re not around to help them. God said, ‘When they call on Me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honour them.’ (Psalm 91:15 NLT)

(2) Show them what God is like. Your child’s concept of God is formed by you. Whether you’re loving and protective or distant and cold, they will grow up understanding God through the interactions they have with you. Some examples are that God is never too busy to listen, He constantly tells us He loves us, and He is never abusive. Getting the idea?

(3) Help them to see God in others. When children are encouraged to see God at work in their own lives, they begin to discern Him at work in the lives of others too. When that happens, they will value and respect others and be valued and respected in return. That will help them to be secure and successful in life.

(4) Don’t send them to church; take them. Children need to believe—and belong. Teach them that, just like a limb dies that’s disconnected from a body, we die spiritually unless we are connected to a local church. ‘Belonging’ means they will always have a place to go. The Bible says, ‘Obey His laws… that things will go well for you and your children.’ (Deuteronomy 4:40 NCV) Helping your kids to find the right path is the greatest gift you can give them.

SoulFood: [bible passage=”Col 1:9–23, 1 Sam 3″ version=”esv” heading=”H3″]

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©