The first of the five dimensions of human development is spiritual.
So what does that mean? It can certainly mean different things to different people. So let's start with the basics.
We want our kids to know God. But we want them to know the real God. Unfortunately, much of what children learn about Him seems more like a religious caricature than an authentic Father.
Compounding the problem, we don’t know how to navigate the gap between what the Bible says and our actual life experience. After all, who doesn’t want to experience the abundant life promised in Scripture, but our stressful, busy, chaotic lives seldom seem to provide that experience. The answer is simple, but not easy. Relationship.
There is no such thing as an easy relationship. Just ask anyone who’s been married for ten minutes. Relationships require things that are challenging to give. Love. Commitment. Dedication. Faithfulness. Honor. The list could go on, but the point is simply this: everything begins and ends with knowing God intimately.
So, whatever it takes to cultivate a deeply intimate relationship with Him is the first and most important step. And those steps will be different for everyone. Over time, God’s love will be revealed in our lives until reliance upon Him becomes the most normal thing in the world. But…and this is the “non-easy” part…we cannot give something to our children that we do not have ourselves.
In this way, everything we do with our children is empowering two generations at a time…ours and theirs.
The more our thoughts, feelings, and actions become aligned with God’s, the more we experience His joy shining through our lives and the lives of our children. Not only that, but alignment with our Father allows us to see Him, ourselves, others, and how life works according to the Truth…and the truth will set us free to live out the incredible story that He has written for each and every one of us.
This is the legacy that we can leave behind for our children. And hopefully, we will refuse to settle for less than what God wants us to experience. Too many parents just sit back and hope for the best, or take the “just try harder” route because we trust that…
If we take our children to church enough times…
If we make sure they’re part of the right children’s ministry…
If we read our children enough Bible stories …
If our children do enough scripture memory verses…
If our children sing enough worship songs…
If we just find the right parenting book…
THEN, they will know God.
But, in the end, “just-try-harderism” takes you to the only place that self-reliance can take you to…exhaustion. God has an amazing story for you and your children, and has given you the roadmap to find it, so why settle for anything less?
God always hopes the best for us…and He sees us as though we were already the best version of ourselves. As parents, our heavenly Father has also given us the incredible opportunity to see our children the same way.
My next post will highlight some ways you can engage your children in the second of the five dimensions of human development...emotional.