Moms play many important roles in the lives of their kids; we are everything from diaper changers, book readers, owie kissers, and hug givers to their personal chef and taxi driver. As Christian moms, we also have the great privilege of showing our kids the love of Christ. How can we point them to Jesus in our interactions and conversations with them every day? Here are five simple ways we can point them to Christ.
1. Talk to your child about Jesus and faith.
The Bible says "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." Deuteronomy 6:7
We talk to our kids every day, but are we talking to them about Jesus every day? You don't need rehearsed words or the perfect quiet moment; you can tell them about Jesus anytime- while getting them dressed, while they are eating, while they are playing with their toys, or driving in the car; there are so many opportunities to bring Jesus into your conversation! Talk to them about how God made them, tell them about all the good things Jesus has done for the world, and most of all about His wonderful love!
2. Pray with and for your child
There is no such thing as a wasted prayer. God hears all of our prayers and the prayers of our children. Your child's prayers may start out being for seemingly small things-sick pets, nice weather for the park, and no bad dreams at night time, but by showing them that we can bring these little things before God because He cares for us, we show them that they can bring big things to God too!
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Philippians 4:6
3. Be a doer and not just a sayer.
Be an example to your children of what a life of faith looks like. Words only go so far. Believe it or not, your children learn by watching you, and they are watching to see if you practice what you preach. When you show your child that your faith matters to you by spending time in the Word and making God part of your every day, they will see that you believe in what you say.
"Even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright." Proverbs 20:11
"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." James 1:22
4. Say you're sorry
Some people think that apologizing to your child is something you never need to do. But, when they make a mistake or hurt someone we usually tell them to apologize, don't we? If we jump to conclusions and accuse them of things, yell at them or say something hurtful to them, we should say "I'm sorry" too. We are not perfect, and we should not act like we are. We need to be careful how we use our words and be sure not to use them as weapons against our children.
"A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." Proverbs 15:1
"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." Ephesians 4:29
"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." Ephesians 4:32
5. Give them grace
When your child disobeys or does something wrong, stop and think before handing out punishments. There are times that instead of punishing them, we should give them grace. This is not always the case and needs to be done per child per incident. But, when you have the opportunity to show them grace, even in a small way, it is a picture of God's mercy and love. This is the perfect time to have a conversation about the grace that God has given us when we didn't deserve it and how much He loves us.
"But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
"He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."Titus 3:5-7
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God," Ephesians 2:8
Our days sometimes go by quickly, and we only have limited time with our kiddos at home. Let's make sure to make the most of that time and point them to Jesus every day!