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.
6. God will help me do what’s right.
Matthew 6:13a, “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” NKJV
I want to feel good (pleasure).
I want to get more (possessions)
I want to be idolized (position).
The temptation of pleasure is called hedonism (pleasure will make me happy). The temptation of possessions is called materialism (more stuff will make me happy). And the temptation of position is secularism (status will make me happy). These are all lies Satan uses to tempt us into trying to find fulfillment in life apart from God. Your kids need to know that each temptation is a poor substitute for the real happiness God can bring when we obey. It’s so important your kids know these three basic temptations of life.
But you don’t stop there. They also need to know 1 Corinthians 10:13, which says “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” NIV Your kids need to know that no temptation will ever come their way that’s too powerful for them to say “no” to. They need to know that God always provides a way out of temptation. They need to know that not only does God ask us to live right, but he also empowers to do so. 2 Peter 1:3 says “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life.” NLT In other words - it is possible to say “no” to temptation and say “yes” to God. If you don’t teach your kids this, they will feel frustrated that God asks something of them that’s not even possible. And if they don’t know that it’s possible to overcome temptations, they might just give up and stop trying.
6. God will help me do what’s right.
Matthew 6:13a, “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” NKJV
You need to teach your kids that Satan uses temptation to steer us away from God’s purpose and plan for their lives. And there’s a great verse you can use to teach your kids about temptation. It’s 1 John 2:15-16, which says “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.” NIV This verse summarizes Satan’s top three temptations. I heard a preacher once say “The only good thing we can say about Satan is he is entirely predictable.” That is, he hasn’t had any new ideas since the creation of the world. The same three temptations he used on Adam and Eve he used on Abraham and Moses and Joseph and Gideon and Isaiah and Jeremiah and David and Saul and Jesus. And these same three temptations are what he uses on you and your kids. They are called the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. The lust of the flesh is all about pleasure. The lust of the eyes is all about possessions. The pride of life is all about position. And these three values are the values on which our society is built.
I want to feel good (pleasure).
I want to get more (possessions)
I want to be idolized (position).
The temptation of pleasure is called hedonism (pleasure will make me happy). The temptation of possessions is called materialism (more stuff will make me happy). And the temptation of position is secularism (status will make me happy). These are all lies Satan uses to tempt us into trying to find fulfillment in life apart from God. Your kids need to know that each temptation is a poor substitute for the real happiness God can bring when we obey. It’s so important your kids know these three basic temptations of life.
But you don’t stop there. They also need to know 1 Corinthians 10:13, which says “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” NIV Your kids need to know that no temptation will ever come their way that’s too powerful for them to say “no” to. They need to know that God always provides a way out of temptation. They need to know that not only does God ask us to live right, but he also empowers to do so. 2 Peter 1:3 says “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life.” NLT In other words - it is possible to say “no” to temptation and say “yes” to God. If you don’t teach your kids this, they will feel frustrated that God asks something of them that’s not even possible. And if they don’t know that it’s possible to overcome temptations, they might just give up and stop trying.
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