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My favorite corporate tagline is “Do Something Creative Every Day.”
I love creative things. They feed my soul and keep me grounded. But I am very quick to let my creative outlets slip by the wayside. In no time at all I feel the effects: I'm less joyful, less productive in other areas, less fulfilled with the routine things I do accomplish, less aware of the beauty around me…less alive.
All of this “less-ness” can be avoided if I simply “do something creative every day.” Just do one thing.
I'm reminded of this same principle when I think about the spiritual training of my kids. Nurturing their faith in little ways is an incredibly important part of motherhood for me. When we are growing our faith together, there is a vibrancy to our home that is noticeably missing when we neglect this aspect of life.
It's easy to be overwhelmed by the magnitude of training up tiny people in the ways of faith. But if I remember to “just do one thing,” then it becomes much more doable.
Here are ten things that may at first seem insignificant, but when practiced regularly, contribute greatly to the growing faith of a small child:
- Prayers. They don't have to be eloquent, only consistent and connected to the child's world. Whether it's before meals, before bed, after rising, or at random times, take a moment to talk to God with your child.
- Songs. Pick a simple Sunday school song and sing it over and over, every time it crosses your mind. Put aside your boredom with the repetition and infuse the concepts of faith into their thoughts one by one, so they can ponder and recall them as they grow.
- Stories. There are Bible story books tailored to the comprehension of every age and stage. Work your way through these stories and graduate the books as your child grows. Incorporate them into your nightly story time and spend a few minutes talking about God's story and how it connects to your child's life.
- Special words. Lay the foundation for scripture memorization by choosing a phrase each week to reiterate and memorize with your child. “God has a plan for me”…”God takes care of me”…”God is love”… “Jesus is alive!” are just a few of the phrases we've practiced as a family.
- Practicing awe. When we're out and about and we stop to admire a flower bed, or a rainbow, or the river by our house, I try to ask my kids who made the river, and remind them it's great to thank God for giving us beautiful things to enjoy. Making this a regular part of our conversation has prompted lots of questions about our world and our Creator.
- Choose your words. As we're training up our kids' characters, we're intentional about using words that correspond to the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patient, kind, goodness, faithful, gentle, and self-control. Just pick one at a time and work it into your regular vocabulary.
- RAOK (Random Acts of Kindness). We try to create little ways for our kids to bless someone in their life each week. Whether it's sending letters to the grandparents, taking muffins to the neighbors, or choosing some stickers to share with our playgroup friends, they're kid-sized ways we can bring a little joy to the people we know.
- Serving. We've had to get pretty creative as our kids are still really young, but it's important to us that our kids see us serve, and serve with us as much as possible. One job that has resonated with our kids is helping to pack up the toys and clothes they've outgrown and deliver them to a donation site. We get to talk about the ways God has blessed us and how we can bless a family who needs a little help.
- Sponsor a child. Exchanging letters and learning about other cultures is another way we talk about God's instruction to share our blessings with people who need help.
- Tell them. Pick a task that gets repeated multiple times a day and determine that each time you or your child does the task you'll remind them “Hey, God loves you and so do I!” Let them hear it over and over.
Training up a child is overwhelming at times. But it's so incredibly important. Before too long the world will be tugging their hearts and attentions away from us, so a solid foundation of faith and the Word is critical. Don't be overwhelmed – just do one thing.
What are some ways you're intentional each day in nurturing the faith of your children?
