It’s one thing to raise good, responsible kids. It’s another to nurture God-fearing children. It’s a challenge for every Christian parent to introduce kids into a genuine relationship with God, to share their faith even. With a lot of strong influences today, from media to peers, kids can easily slip into the indifferent you-only-live-once attitude, without ever regarding the role of God in their lives. There’s no magic formula in producing kids who are loving and obedient to the Lord, but there are tried-and-tested principles that you can adopt as early as now to “train up your child in the way that they should go.” Here are some of them:
1. Be a good example.
Whether you like it or not, your actions speak volumes to your children. So much that it actually becomes their lifestyle standard. If they don’t see you praying, any sermon on trusting God and having faith won’t be genuine to them. If they don’t see you reading the Bible, any talk about following God’s commands will be futile.
Be conscious of your actions and set a good example. Let the God-fearing attitude start in you first. Little by little, without you knowing, your children will pick up on these and form the same habits. Of course, this doesn’t mean teaching Christian disciplines directly isn’t important. You also have to be intentional in imparting godly habits. Grab those teachable moments, like praying before meals, reading the Bible as a family, and asking your children what they are grateful for before bedtime.
2. Pick their school wisely.
Your kids spend most of their days in school. Apart from you, their teachers and classmates are the biggest influencers in their worldview and perspective about God. That’s why it’s important to choose their school carefully. Aside from the quality of education the institution offers, you should look at their core values, and see if it matches yours.
A lot of Christian parents send their children to Catholic schools as a training ground for character development, Biblical perspective formation, and civic engagement. If you want your kids to have the same holistic Christian training, you may want to consider sending your children to Catholic schools in Gilbert, AZ. These are learning environments conducive for spiritual formation, helping your child realize God’s plan in their life.
3. Involve them in church.
The more that your child exposed to Christian communities, the more that they can develop a healthy, God-fearing attitude. Make sure to get them involved in church. Don’t be satisfied with taking them to masses every Sunday. Encourage them to volunteer in the liturgical ministries. They can be readers, sacristans, ushers, or choir members. Expose them as well to the community outreach programs, like food drives for the homeless and prison ministries. As early as now, you should be planting the seeds of church involvement, so that in serving others, they can develop better their godly attitude and relationship with God.
It’s a real challenge to raise God-fearing children, but it’s not impossible. With the help of God and with these habits, you can help your child grow towards spiritual maturity.
