Since Godly character begins on the inside with a close relationship with Jesus, it is VITAL that you get God’s Word into your children’s minds. Let’s look at why and how to help your kids think God’s thoughts!
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Being purposeful about this is an essential part of building Godly character in our kids, and something we can’t afford to neglect.
Why You Need To Help Your Kids Think God’s Thoughts:
1. One of the main reasons it is so important that you get God’s Word into your kids’ minds is the process that is involved.
Everything starts with a thought; thoughts lead to actions, actions develop into habits, and habits grow into character.
Where did all of that start? With the thoughts! As the Bible says, as we think in our hearts so we are.
2. Another reason you need to help your kids think God’s thoughts is because that is how you build their faith, which God says should be your first priority. (II Peter 1:5)
3. You also need to help your kids think God’s thoughts because the Bible commands it.
In Deuteronomy 6 God gives a clear Bible command to PARENTS, to diligently teach God’s Word to their children when they walk, sit, rise up, or lay down.
So according to this verse, you should be teaching God’s Word to your children all the time!
How To Help Your Kids Think God’s Thoughts
1.The Bible must be a part of YOUR life first.
If you “have it in your heart” as a parent, the result will be that you will talk about it all the time like the verses command. You need to read His Word daily, memorize it, and meditate on it throughout the day.
GET EXCITED ABOUT THE BIBLE!
When was the last time your children heard you get excited about something you read in God’s Word? Or when was the last time you shared your excitement about a Bible truth that was preached in church?
2. READ IT.
Not only do you need to spend time in God’s Word daily, you also need to read it to or with your kids. It’s also important to then encourage them to start reading it on their own as soon as they are able.
Some parents think that their children will find the Bible boring, and they won’t be interested in it. Don’t believe that!
If you have the right attitude and are excited about the things God teaches you from His Word, your children will pick up on your attitude.
I found that when I share things with my kids that bless me from my Bible reading, they in turn get excited and share when they find certain things in their own Bible reading.
When your kids are young, get them excited about being able to read the Bible on their own just like their parents, and older siblings as soon as they learn to read well enough.
Be sure to give your kids a Bible reading plan that they will enjoy reading. If you want laid out reading plans your kids will enjoy, here you go:
BIBLE READING PLANS YOUR CHILDREN WILL ENJOY
3. MEMORIZE GOD’S WORD TOGETHER.
One of the easiest ways to help your kids memorize Scripture, is by singing it. Singing Scripture songs is one of the easiest ways to teach your kids God’s Word, and it will also help them to retain those verses.
I found it was so sweet to hear my kids singing God’s Word throughout the day as they worked and played. I also found that it helped them to have a better atttitude. (It helped MY attitude as well!)
Don’t just give your kids verses and expect them to memorize them on their own.
Memorize verses and passages together, and make it FUN.
- Use motions to help remember the verses
- Use pictures
- Say them with expression
- Use charts, and give a sticker when they have memorized the verse/passage.
Your kids can start memorizing verses and passages when they are pretty young. In fact, your three and four year old may surprise you with their ability to memorize, so start them young!
By the time our oldest son was five, he had learned over three hundred verses in passages of as little as six verses, and up to as many as twenty-four verses.
4. REBUKE AND CORRECT WITH THE BIBLE
I talked about this in an earlier post in this series: The Best Way To Use Biblical Correction To Build Godly Character.
Remember that wrong behavior is an opportunity to take our kids to God’s Word when they show wrong behavior, and show them what God says about it.
Training & Correcting the Heart With Scripture is an easy to resource to use to help you consistently correct your kids with Scripture.
Simple Challenge:
1. If you haven’t been reading God’s Word daily, start now. If you want a simple plan, grab this to get started easily. Get excited about it!
PRAYER PROMISES FREE 30 DAY SCRIPTURE WRITING PLAN
2. If your kids aren’t in the habit of reading their Bible daily, talk to them about the importance of it, and give them a plan from one of the free BIBLE READING PLANS YOUR CHILDREN WILL ENJOY.
3. Start memorizing Scripture daily with your children.
Download these free Bible ABC Memory Verse Cards to get started!
4. When a behavior issue comes up today with one of your children, take them to God’s Word and give them Bible answers. Use that opportunity!
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A special Thank You to today’s sponsor The National Center for Biblical Parenting who offers THRIVE! a 12-session Video Training Program that teaches families a heart-based approach in order to help children build character to overcome common challenges of family life.
I recently found your website and it is exactly the guidance, advice, and practical training i have been looking for. I’m thanking God for leading me here and praying for Him to bless you and your family. 🙏
I love your practical advice! Typically, when someone tells you to correct your kids with firmness and love, to show them what Scripture says, and to get them excited about God’s Word, they don’t tell you HOW to do it! Those things are all wonderful and they’re goals of any Christian family, but they’re also terms that also need defining and examples or they wind up being ambiguous in how they’re supposed to be played out. Thank you for bringing meaning and action to these words so they’re not simply great theories, but great realities as well!