Teaching Children to Live Like Jesus

Teaching Children to Live Like Jesus - Parenting Like Hannah
Photo by David King

One of my favorite parts of any new year is listening to people talk about all of the crazy new diets they are trying. I especially enjoy the ones where people eat like “____”.  I think I have heard everything from a Hollywood star to a “Paleo” to someone in the Bible. My guess is that each of these people represents people who were thin because they ate less and moved more in some fashion or another (personally I would hate to be the one who lived off of kale soup forever!).

What if, instead of focusing on what we eat (although, I could use a few more veggies in my diet) or what our children ate, we focused on really teaching our children to live like Jesus lived? Would it change the way the world views Christians? Would we and our children need to make drastic changes in our lifestyles? What would it even look like?

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Tips for Raising Resilient Christians

Tips for Raising Resilient Christians - Parenting Like Hannah
Photo by Lindsay Shaver

I don’t like to brag, but I throw a pretty awesome pity party. When things aren’t going my way, I can feel sorry for myself with the best of them. Frankly, I am an awesome martyr except for the minor detail of never actually having been martyred. Maybe you can identify?

Life can be really tough sometimes. Christian life brings its own set of challenges. We are called to behave better when bad things happen to us and at the same time are sometimes mocked and scorned for our beliefs. Often it seems like we are the only person on earth still trying to please God and we aren’t so sure how great we are doing.

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Raising Resilient Christians

Raising Resilient Christians - Parenting Like Hannah
Photo by isafmedia

Maybe I am just in a blue mood lately, but it seems Christians around the world are being persecuted more than they have in years. Our lives may not be in danger for practicing Christianity in the U.S., but we are routinely mocked as stupid, uneducated or hateful. The pressure is sometimes overwhelming to veto God and say His commands are no longer valid in today’s world. Our children will to have to be strong to withstand the peer pressure or persecution they may suffer for obeying God.

Even if our children grow up in a world where God is valued and worshipped, life itself can bring pain. God does not cause pain, but the fallen world means we are surrounded by illness, heartbreak and evil deeds. Even our DNA is no longer perfect, resulting in disabilities and inherited illnesses. Our children will need to be strong to have their faith remain unshaken by the stresses of living in a fallen world.

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Recording Family Faith Stories

Recording Family Faith Stories - Parenting Like HannahI have a secret about my Bible reading which I rarely share with anyone. Mainly, because it generally causes eye rolling and groaning. Since I can’t see or hear you, I am going to take the risk – I secretly enjoy reading the “begats” in the Bible. Partially, it is because I love the little nuggets God hid within some of those passages. Mainly though, I love reading the connections between the generations over thousands of years. It is comforting to think of God touching the lives of generation after generation of His people.

A legacy of faith is one of the most important gifts we can give our families. Even if you are the first generation of believers in your family, you are starting a legacy for any future generations after you. There is a creative way you can add to that legacy for your children, grandchildren and beyond.

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How Your Child Can Avoid a Protestant Rumspringa

How Your Child Can Avoid a Protestant Rumspringa - Parenting Like Hannah
Photo by Kevin Rawlings

Sometimes to teens it must sound like the only Christians who have testimonies worthy of sharing are those who have been addicts, teen parents or have been to prison. Ministers tell our teens over and over, children are expected to abandon the church when they leave home and live a period where they experiment with sin and reject God. A Protestant Rumspringa of sorts.(An Amish rite of passage when Amish teens enter the world for a time to confirm whether they want to remain Amish or prefer excommunication.)

While I understand statistics confirm many teens do reject God when they leave home, I don’t like it presented as the default option for our children. Teens who are struggling with sin may actually be convinced that it will be fine for them to experiment with a sinful lifestyle, in spite of their doubts and concerns. They assume they will have plenty of time to repent later. Unfortunately, some teens do not survive experimentation.

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