by Ms. Sasha
Don’t worry about trying to measure yourself against someone else’s standards. Spiritual growth is all about our own progress with God. It’s about hearing from God and trusting him more and more each day. As parents, we have a dual role. While we’re responsible for ensuring our own growth, God wants us to help our children grow also.
Here are 6 opportunities you can use to help your children grow in spiritually.
1. Use GAMING in Spiritual Development
I’m sure you’re familiar with the role gaming plays in a young person’s life. In fact, it may play a large role in some of our lives! Sometimes, learning about God is hard for children without an example they can relate to. Gaming is a creative way to help children to learn about God.
For example, while my kids are gaming together, and each person has a role in the game, I may throw in a quick parallel to Romans 12, discussing how each person plays a special role in the Body of Christ. The kids quickly recognize that this “ah-hah” moment is teaching them about patience.
This is just one example. With gaming, there are numerous parallels you can use as “teachable moments” that can provide children with a relatable visual that will make a lasting impression.
Discussing God’s ways and thoughts is something we have to do on purpose. When we do, we often see the fruit of it while our children are enjoying hobbies, like gaming.
My Pastor often recalls a time during his teenage years when he listened for things God would tell him while he was gaming. It happened so often for him, that he began to include a notepad and a pen by his side to record a Word from the Lord!
2. Encourage SMALL TALK for Spiritual Growth
Getting a clear picture of what your children are feeling on the inside can be difficult. And when we ask them outright, many times they are not sure how to articulate it. That’s why small talk is so important.
For instance, when your children arrive home from school, ask them how their day was. I often ask my children how they would rate their day based on a scale of 1 to 10. (My husband and I rate our days with them also.) Depending on what they say, we discuss what was good, and what could have been better. There’s no pressure. Then, we talk about their day again at dinner often discussing another angle to the story.
These discussions are valuable to them, even if they don’t realize it, because they give them a chance to clear their heads and unleash their faith by taking issues to God through prayer.
Helping children give their burdens to God is the ultimate goal here. It teaches them that God’s peace is always available to them, and allows them to continue to live the stress-free lives they deserve.
3. Provide LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES that Develop Character
Providing leadership opportunities in our homes and with our extended families encourages spiritual growth in several ways.
Some ways to help our children gain leadership qualities are by allowing them to babysit, tutor, or teach a skill to younger siblings or cousins. Through them, they are learning how to love others by sharing and nurturing, how to demonstrate patience while they are teaching, and how to be servant-leaders.
What better way to teach children how to use their spiritual fruits than by empowering them with opportunities to lead with those fruits?
4. Utilize YOUTH GROUPS in Spiritual Development
To grow spiritually, it’s important to hear God’s Word consistently. Even if you were saved at a younger age, it may have been difficult to understand and study God’s Word on your own. In a youth group, children will learn God’s Word in a guided and fun atmosphere with other students who are there for the same purpose.
While my parents were always affirming, I still didn’t have a good sense of what it meant to love God, love myself, and how to connect those two until I joined a youth group. There, I was mentored by a youth leader/teacher who gave me the foundational scripture for developing my self-esteem, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalms 139:14 NIV)
I am so thankful that God provided a community of youth where our spirits could be fed together and I could learn my own significance in the world.
Click here to read my article “5 Reasons Your Teen Needs to Join a Youth Group” for a deeper understanding of the benefits of youth groups.
5. Grow Spiritually Through a TALENT
Many of you are already excellent at allowing your kids to explore their talents through sports, music or dance classes, and academic competitions. Here’s a twist to take it to another level.
Whatever talent or gift your children are exploring, help them to include God in it.
On game day while driving, pray with them and let them pray also, trusting God for help and supernatural favor.
As they are practicing their skills at home, show them how to create an atmosphere that will help them increase endurance, perhaps by incorporating music or prepping an energy tray with fruit, nuts, and water. These will help children to develop a dependence on God, and build faithfulness and stewardship in their own characters.
By including God in their talents, children learn more about who God made them and gain confidence in the gifts God put inside of them.
6. Incorporate BIBLE STUDY to Teach Kids About God
As we discussed earlier, kids tend to comprehend Biblical principles better when they are presented creatively. Bible Study, nevertheless is vital to spiritual growth at all ages.
Committing scripture to memory is a good way to help children get to know the Spirit of God. But helping kids expound on scripture brings it to life in their worlds. Let’s see how expounding on John 3:16 makes this Scripture relevant to children in the example below:
For God so loved the world,
The world.
That means everyone, not just Christians.
So, God loves everyone.
that he gave his only begotten Son,
He didn’t keep his son to himself but gave him for a greater purpose. God’s not selfish.
He specializes in giving.
that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
So everyone on the earth will have an opportunity to believe in Jesus. And, if they do, they won’t just die and be buried. They will actually live forever. That’s a huge gift for believing in Jesus…and it’s open to everyone.
By doing this with a few scriptures, children will be familiar with how to dissect and apply the Bible to their lives. Soon, they will be able to do it on their own.
Having kids memorize and expound on scripture will bless them to be able to both recall God’s message to us and apply it personally.
Getting Involved
Getting involved with our children’s activities is a blessing because it strengthens familial bonds and increases our parental influence. Furthermore, learning and exploring spiritual growth together in natural settings helps your child to experience growth with you.
According to a Barna survey, 74 percent of adults have a desire for spiritual growth. And as a parent, I can attest that sometimes we wait until we’ve reached spiritual heights we’ve set for ourselves before we feel comfortable teaching Biblical concepts to our children. But, why wait? God gives us the freedom to grow alongside our children. It’s a win-win, providing both parents and children with an engaging, fruitful, and humble experience.
As you get started, ask yourself these questions:
- What is the best time of day for me to add one of these activities to our weekly schedule?
- What activity did I learn about that will resonate the most with my kids?”
- What is the most natural way for me to introduce these activities to my child?
As you prayerfully answer these questions, remember that you are a blessing to your home! Patience with yourself and with your family is the key to success in this endeavor as you develop fruitful relationships and a life-long dependence on God.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 NIV
