Although next week is the official start of Fall, many of your families are already in a routine of school and whatever activities are still happening. Need some ideas or encouragement to navigate the “new normal” of this Fall? Here are this week’s social media challenges.
Monday: Want to start your day off great? Say a prayer and read the Bible verse for the day from the Bible app on your phone before you even get out of bed. Want to lower your stress during the day? Meditate on that verse all day. Pray in the moment or while you are waiting in the carpool lane. You may just find spending a bit more time with God each day can make a huge positive difference.
Tuesday: Have you ever craved something? This sandwich from my college years has me running to this cheese shop whenever I’m in town. Just thinking about it makes me want one so badly! That craving is what you want your kids to develop for reading God’s Word…the Bible. It starts with being excited about reading it yourself, reading it to them with excitement and explaining to them how exciting it will be to be able to read it independently as they grow older. Being in scripture daily will make it a lot easier for them to stay connected and obedient to God, so help them crave it.
Wednesday: Just because something is labeled “Bible” or “Christian” doesn’t mean it’s accurate. The maker of this Noah’s Ark toy probably had no ill intent, but either through ignorance or “practicality” created a replica of Noah’s ark that is inaccurate. It’s not necessarily a huge deal with a toy, but many times inaccuracies cause problems. Teaching your kids to check everything by the actual Bible will prevent them from being swayed by a lot of inaccurate information that could negatively impact their faith.
Thursday: Did you know the supposedly ideal tithing amount for Christians is not in the Bible? Why? Because God wants us to be generous with our money, helping others and sharing our faith with it. Generosity often starts in childhood. Watching how parents hoard or share. Whether they give willingly and generously…or not. It also begins with teaching them good stewardship skills like budgeting and staying out of debt. Even teaching the difference between needs and wants can help your kids grow to be the generous Christians God wants them to be.
Friday: Want to let your kids know how much you love them and are proud of them? Need to have a delicate conversation? Find those types of conversations are often interrupted with protests from your kids? Write them notes and leave them on their pillows to find. Even kids who don’t like “mushy” stuff will read and often save those notes to read again later.