September 4, 2013

7 Things Parents Need to Teach Their Kids - Part 3

There are seven things good parents will prioritize teaching their children. These seven truths come from The Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6 and are the spiritual foundation for successful children.

3. God has a purpose and plan for my life. 
Matthew 6:10, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.” NKJV

You need to teach your kids: God is on a mission to save lost people and he has a role for you to play in that process! God has a purpose for your life that’s part of a much bigger plan! If you fail to teach your kids this, you risk two things:

1. They will likely grow up self-centered and selfish, thinking they are the center of the universe (when they’re not). 

Kids need to know they are not the center of the universe. Until a kid learns that, that kid is going to be self-centered, selfish and doomed to unhappiness. Happiness is found when we give our lives away for the cause of Christ, not when we live for ourselves. So it’s super important that we teach our kids that God has a purpose and plan for their lives. Parents who treat their kids like they are the center of the universe are setting them up for great disappointment later in life.

But secondly - if you don’t teach your kids that God has a purpose for their lives...

2. They will likely grow up suffering from a sense of insignificance. 
Kids that don’t know they were created by God for God’s purposes tend to wander aimlessly through life. They ask: Why am I here? What am I here for? Does my life matter? And unless you teach them that God has a purpose and plan for their life, they will go through life feeling like they don’t matter because they’ve never learned that God has a role for them to play in his kingdom.

“Your kingdom come” reveals to us that God is building a heavenly kingdom. And “Your will be done on earth” reveals that he has a purpose for each of us. Each and every one of us is to contribute in some way to helping build God’s kingdom. Our kids need to understand this - the earlier the better. But don’t ever think that you’ve missed your window of opportunity. Better late than never! I don’t care if your kids are all grown up. This is something you should still be telling them continually: God has a plan for your life. God put you here on earth for a purpose. You matter. You are important. You have a critical role to play in building God’s kingdom.

My dad used to regularly tell me that God’s hand was on my life. What was he saying? That God was leading me into his purpose for my life. You need to do the same for your kids. Remind them over and over that God loves them AND has a plan and purpose for their lives. This will ensure they don’t grow up self-centered thinking life is all about them and will help them discover a sense of significance (a feeling that they matter).

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