Helping Our Children Depend on Christ
One reason I love physical books is the turning of the page. Don’t get me wrong—I use a Kindle often, but no matter how engaged I am in my e-books, there’s nothing like the crinkle of another page turn. And in that short moment, I go from the bottom of one page to the top of another. I feel this happens with each new year, a crinkle and then back at the top, hopefully beginning a new year in the light of yesteryear’s hard-earned wisdom.
An important lesson I’ve learned this past year is dealing with spiritual obstacles. It takes strength, endurance, and daily training to compete athletically. Physical fitness is achieved by adversity—by lifting weights, running miles, doing sit-ups and push-ups. In a way, exercise is the practice of facing conflict and stress head-on. It’s the same with our spirit! I’m finding the spiritual obstacles God places in my life serve to make me more spiritually fit.
“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” James 1:2-4 (NLT)
The greatest wisdom comes only after testing and struggle. So, it isn’t shocking that my kids also need to experience struggle and trials to learn. One of my goals for my homeschool this year is instilling Godly wisdom in my kids regarding all areas of their lives. Ultimately, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). I spent a lot of time trying to make their lives easier, rather than encouraging them to go to Christ in their trials. I’d like to focus this year on directing their eyes heavenward, and force them through the necessary challenges of diligence.
Dear Reader, do you find yourself stuck trying to make life easier for your kids? It’s important for us to guide and direct them and involve ourselves in their lives so they know we care. But we must teach them to bring all their burdens to the Lord, we must teach them to depend on their Creator to meet their deepest needs. Then they will have a key that can open any door fear and doubt slam in their faces. May the Lord give us strength to guide our children towards Him this new year, and may they see how He can strengthen them!
Carole Ruffin is wife to Jesse and mom of five wonderful kids. She’s the author of Kids, Crayons, and Christ early elementary art curriculum, and also a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art. She blogs about practical ways to include art in every subject, and also creative ways to teach older kids when you have a new baby. Here’s her blog: http://www.drawinguntohim.com/homeschool
Beautifully put. It is often tempting for me to make things easy and smooth for my kids because I want them to be happy, but everywhere I look I can see this isn’t my Father’s priority. For me, I have to step back and let my kids earn money to pay their own library fines (after I’ve determined they have developed enough to be responsible enough), teach them to own up to their mistakes with a clear and uncompromised apology, and especially actively pray when they have wants and needs.
I love how you aren’t just telling us to let our kids “sink or swim”, but turn to God. This has been the major lesson I’ve learned over the past year. Not that I hadn’t known it before, but many events forced me to turn to my Heavenly Father for the support I needed in an even deeper and more abandoned way. We can never learn too early to depend on the One who is the true Source of Life!