How was your week? Do you need some ideas or encouragement on your Christian parenting journey? If you missed our daily social media challenges this week, here’s a re-cap.
Monday: Your kids may feel stress over the changes and events over the last few months. Teaching them healthy, godly coping techniques – like sitting beside flowing water, prayer, exercise, talking about their feelings and more can keep them from experimenting with less godly ways to cope. It takes some guidance from you because each they need to be taught the techniques and they need to be reminded to use them when they get stressed. It’s worth your time and effort though to prepare them to better handle life in this fallen world.
Tuesday: One day soon this space should be full of beautiful wild flowers. It doesn’t look very promising at the moment, however, other than the sign. If the planters continue to care for this plot though, the area will begin to show more promise each day. One or more of your kids may appear to have little potential for any variety of reasons. It’s important to remember though that God gives every child potential. They all require love, nurturing, teaching and coaching -preferably from their parents – to most easily reach that potential. You have to believe in that potential to do the good works God has prepared for each of your children. They will be different works perhaps, but they all have value to God. Put in the time, effort and love and you may be pleasantly surprised to see beautiful flowers of your own in the future.
Wednesday: This path was clearly marked so no one would accidentally wander off of it and get lost. Have you helped clearly line God’s path for your child so they won’t accidentally wander off? Often young people start off the path because it hadn’t been clearly marked and they were very far off before they realized what happened. Have regular discussions – conversations, not just lectures – about what God wants for them and from them in life.
Thursday: Have you ever seen a tree with a hollow trunk? It means the tree is dying, even if it still has pretty leaves. The first strong storm will blow it over. The faith of many young people can be hollow. They know what adults want to hear and may say it without believing it. A young person with hollow faith is much more likely to be carried off by the world. Have lots of conversations with your kids – encouraging them to tell you what they really think. Don’t panic when it isn’t what you wanted to hear. Instead, help them work on strengthening their faith where it might be hollow. Then they will be more likely to resist the storms of the world.
Friday: This lichen gets its strength from the tree to which it is attached. From where do you get your strength? On whom do your kids depend upon when they need extra strength and you aren’t around? If the answer isn’t God, none of you may be as strong against life’s struggles as you could be. Teach your kids how to get their strength from God and show them how by leaning on God yourself.