Resources/Articles
Helping Your Child Develop A Spiritual Mind
Have you ever been paid to be spiritually minded as a child? Did someone give you a dollar for memorizing a Bible verse? Were you given a certificate for being in attendance during a week of Vacation Bible School? How many coupons for something free did you receive for reading the New Testament in a year?
Does the relationship your children have with God depend on a payout of some kind in order for them to be godly children? Have you helped them see the need for being spiritual by spiritual means rather than social or physical attractions? Has God ever bribed anyone to be a Christian? God has promised never to forsake us or fail us (Psalm 37:24,25; Hebrews 13:5), but He never promises material success is guaranteed as a result of being holy and godly in this present world (Titus 1:11,12).
All children should be given the opportunity by their parents to develop these convictions: (1) Jesus Christ as the Lord and King of their lives; (2) Have prayer as crucial part of their daily lives; (3) Consistency in life - being the same person in private and in public; (4) Let the scriptures be a daily guide; (5) Understand the service they can give to God’s will in order to fulfill their purpose in life; (6) Pass on a godly legacy to the next generation.
Looking at this list may cause some parents to say, “We have got a lot of work to do” or “Wow! I did not know this is what real parenting was!” Having children is a calling upon your heart as a parent to plant seeds in your children’s hearts to understand their duty to God. The importance of teaching spirituality to your children is not only to raise “good children”, but to have a foundation laid for future generations. As a parent, you can emphasize the importance of a spiritual mind in a number of ways:
Prayer
Philippians 4:6 says “...in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Every parent needs to plant this seed in their child’s heart every day. Prayer is a need in every daily event and activity. It is not only a mealtime or bedtime essential. Pray before a test. Pray with your child for their school. Pray before a trip. Pray before worshipping God. Pray with them about their dates or their driving. Pray with them about choosing friends. Let prayer start your day and end your day.
Bible Study
Our children grew up hearing Bible stories from the time they were very small. This was our discipline in the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). It was not driven in them. It was taught to and learned by them. The Bible was the book they knew more about than any other book. As they grew into their teenage years, Bible study was not as consistent because of their schedules and ours. What we gave them earlier on helped them establish a personal Bible study time. It gave them the understanding of how important the Word was to guid and train them in self-control, patience, love, faith, and righteousness. When they reached high school, they knew when and how to prepare for a Bible class. They knew how important it was to be “ready always to give answer to every man that asketh you a reason concerning the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15). Having Bible studies early in their lives helped them see the value of a close relationship with God. There was no need for us to impose more Bible study on our children. They could see over time the responsibility they had before God to learn His ways and thoughts (Isaiah 55:8,9).
Church
Worshipping God was not a ritual or habitual religious act for our family. We gave attention to our worship in the same manner in which Jesus desired it to be - “in spirit and truth” (John 4:23,24). There was never a time when our children said they did not want to go to woship God. There was no event or activity as important as the one focusing on God. There were never any other plans made which would interfere with our worship plans. Hebrews 10:25 is the seed we planted in our children’s hearts as well as Psalm 100. Our worship to God was with gladness, honor, and edification. We wanted to give worship our attention not only with the right spirit and in the way God wanted it. We wanted to appear ready with what we wore to worship. Going to a worship service dressed like we would go to a ball game or a backyard picnic was an approach too casual for worshipping the Father in heaven, Creator of all things, and Savior who would have all men to be saved.
Small Bible Studies/Lectures
We fall so short of what the early Christians did in Acts 2:46. “And day by day, continuing steadfastly with one accord in the temple…” We found one of the most effective means of creating a spiritually minded child is monthly Bible studies or weekend lectures for young people. We had monthly studies in our home and invited several young people to study with our children about the value of doctrine, godliness, and faithfulness. It encouraged our children to help grow their faith and become associated with other young people their age who were as determined as they were to make right choices and live like Christ. The relationship they had then and still have with those they grew up with follows the pattern of 1 Thessalonians 4:11 and Hebrews 10:24. It not only helped increase their faith, it gave them conviction to reach out to students at their school. It also produced courage to overcome the temptations they would face in school. We were always interested in learning where we could place our children with others who wanted to have a spiritual mind. It is worth every gallon of gas purchased and every mile driven. It is priceless! Such an effort gave our children a head start on developing a God-centered view of life and world issues.
Service
There is enough in the world to attract your children’s minds to become selfish. Trying to be popular, success, social approval, entertainment, and greed in our culture are the gods which attract our children. Our Lord left us an example of service in Matthew 20:28. Service needs to be the nature of every child’s heart. Having our children go to visit the sick, the elderly, clean up or mow someone’s yard, prepare and take someone food, drive them to the grocery store, or send a card were some of the many good works our children experienced. It brought them joy and they soon embraced this something that brought joy to those they served. Serving others may have been a chore to them at the beginning, because it took them away from things they wanted to do. In time, they understood the value of those opportunities. It became to be a fulfillment of what Philippians 2:1-5 says. Service is an imitation of the nature of our Lord Jesus Christ. Helping others gave them appreciation for moving out of their “comfort zones” and into the lives of others where they can truly learn that “love thy neighbor” is to love thyself (Matthew 22:39).
Your children, like ours, need to learn how important it is to have a spiritual mind as they face the trials, hindrances, temptations, and challenges in life. Your children’s walks with God are a great responsibility God will help you accomplish. Your children will be on their own someday. We pray our children always continue to carry these things we have helped them with to develop spiritual minds. Do this for your children. Train them in the way the Lord wants them to go. Your legacy depends on what you do today.
