Modeling the Gospel to Your Kids in the Everyday
Ever feel the weight of making sure your kids understand the gospel?
As Christian parents, we can put a lot of pressure on ourselves to raise our kids the “right way”. Kids’ bibles, VBS, and Sunday school are all wonderful tools to teach the gospel, but Jesus modeled the gospel in the everyday moments of life. And guess what? So can you.
No, you don’t have to be a perfect stay-at-home mom. And yes, it’s ok if you mess up at times. Life can get messy and it’s part of the everyday that we are able to show our kids what the gospel looks like.
When we’re in the trenches of parenting teenagers or when we’re celebrating at our kid’s basketball game, there is always a teachable moment to present the gospel. This isn’t to say you need to get preachy for every little thing you do with your kids. It’s a seamless integration of the gospel in our daily lives.
Our kids (and us, as parents) experience ups and downs all the time. There is a certain beauty of sharing God’s truth through these daily moments because your kids can create a connection between a biblical story and their lives.
Sometimes as parents, we get fearful or worried about our kids and their future so we overcompensate. Let’s peel back the layers and look at how we can simplify what it means to model the gospel to our kids in the everyday.
Model.
Modeling the gospel does not mean we have to be perfect, it just means we demonstrate the spirit of the gospel through our relationship with Christ and our relationship with our kids.
Again, this is not about perfection, but about what it looks like to be a Christ follower, mistake maker, and real human.
Use moments of vulnerability to display how the gospel message applies to their lives. When they experience disappointment, sadness, fear, or frustration, find a way to point them back to the Bible.
As parents, we can point ourselves to the gospel too when we experience difficulties. It could be a frustrating day at work; use this opportunity to be vulnerable with your child and share how you feel. Then point back to God’s word and the power of freedom that He gives to believers who trust in Him.
Listen.
Every children’s Bible has an illustration of Jesus sitting with little children gathered around. Some sit on his lap and others are crowded around His feet.
Whenever I see this picture it makes me feel like Jesus is a good listener. I can just imagine Him sitting quietly with a warm smile on His face as He delights in listening to His children speak. He spends time listening to their silly jokes and talking about things that kids like to talk about.
As parents, one way we display the love of Christ is by just sitting down and listening to our children. Not with our eyes glued to our devices, or multi-tasking with things around the house, but truly giving our kids our attention.
Why is it so important to listen? Because listening draws out conversation, and conversations are where we can meet a lot of our children’s needs. They want to know that we see them, we hear them, and we love them.
Listening creates a safe space to ask questions. From silly questions to deep questions that our children wrestle with. Listening gives us an invitation into their hearts, and allows us to reflect the heart of Christ.
Share.
Most of us see our children daily, and we are who they see when they go to bed at night and when they wake up in the mornings. But how much of your life are you sharing with them?
A lot of the time parents save their children from all their adulting woes. Work drama, relationship drama, financial struggles, family conflicts, etc. We shelter our kids from the things we worry about and the challenges we face as adults.
What if the next time you’re facing a difficulty you invite your children to pray with you? You don’t have to go into all the details-- but allow your children to participate in talking to God with you. Share what God is teaching you through your devotional life and/or how He’s challenging you to grow in your faith.
Integrate the gospel message into your everyday life by pointing out how God is teaching you. This can be in the car on the way to school, during an evening walk or over the family dinner table.
Allow your kids to see how you as an adult, as a mom, dad, or grandparent need the gospel in your life. Not only does this strengthen your child’s empathy skills, but it also provides a platform to how they can respond to situations in life they will one day face.
When you naturally share your day-to-day life, remember to point back to God’s word. Pull from examples in the Bible. When you do this, you are helping your children see Bible characters as real people instead of historical figures. Real people are relatable. The gospel is relatable.
The gospel is a revolutionary thing. It’s not a Sunday school lesson or a spew of memory verses that we recite as children. So let’s represent the gospel to our children in our everyday encounters with God.
You Might Also Like:
Why We Need God in Education Today
Motherhood: Living an Abundant Life
Ref: https://kidsministry.lifeway.com/2021/05/17/gospel-centered-childrens-ministry-part-3-gospel-centered-interactions/
