Christian Parenting Challenges #5

Life is very slowly, but surely moving towards a time when your kids can do everything they did before the pandemic. But is it in their best interest spiritually? Now is a great time to examine together what you have learned in the past year and move forward in ways that are spiritually healthier than before. Here are this week’s social media challenges to add to your discussions.

Monday: It’s easy to be gloomy in Winter. One of the fruits of the Spirit though, is joy. Joy is different than happiness, because it isn’t dependent upon circumstances. What can you do to make yours a joy filled home?

Tuesday: You have probably been at home as a family more than ever this past year. How much of that time have you really spent engaged with your kids? Your presence is important to your kids, but being present for them is crucial. They desperately need you to teach them and show them what God wants for them and from them. They need you to give them guided practice in being who God wants them to be. They need you to be present and intentional.

Wednesday: To many people in the world today, they are in a play and either there is no God or God is merely an audience member watching the action from afar. The reality is for Christians, God, in the form of the Holy Spirit, is indwelling. God is right there willing to guide and counsel. He’s not a dispassionate audience member. Your kids need to understand that or they will be less likely to turn to God for guidance and help in life.

Thursday: Thomas Jefferson may have attended church enough to get a pew with his name on it, but he decided he didn’t like parts of the Bible. So he took them out and created his own very small version. Nowhere close to what God wants people to read, understand and obey. God didn’t give Jefferson permission to change the Bible to his liking. Your kids need to understand God hasn’t given them permission to change the Bible either. They may not like some of it, but as the saying goes “It is what it is”. God is King and when we become Christians, obedience is part of the package. Having said that, helping your kids better understand God and the wisdom behind His commands will make it easier for them to obey Him.

Friday: Did you know your kids need device free quiet and solitude time to help them grow spiritually? Without it, they will have a hard time processing what God wants them to know, dreaming godly dreams, meditating on God’s words or praying unrushed prayers. Help your kids create margin in their schedules for solitude.

Published by

Thereasa Winnett

Thereasa Winnett is the founder of Teach One Reach One and blogger at Parenting Like Hannah. She holds a BA in education from the College of William and Mary. She has served in all areas of ministry to children and teens for more than thirty years and regularly leads workshops for ministries and churches. She has conducted numerous workshops, including sessions at Points of Light’s National Conference on Volunteering and Service, the National Urban Ministry Conference, Pepperdine Bible Lectures, and Lipscomb’s Summer Celebration. Thereasa lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband Greg, where she enjoys reading, knitting, traveling and cooking.

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