Growing Godly Girls, Day 3: God's Word at Their Level

Welcome to Day 3 of
Growing Godly Girls!

Want to read the other days of this 5-Day Feature?

Day 1:  Consistent Parenting with a Loving Smile
Day 2:  Study Them Well
Day 3:  God's Word at Their Level
Day 4:  Surround Them With Godly Friends
Day 5:  Coming soon!

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Day 3:  God's Word ~ At Their Level

     My topic today can be slightly controversial among Christian families. 

     Well, I think any topic can be slightly controversial - or really controversial - among anyone. 

     My hope today is that instead of getting upset, you will gain some inspiration in leading your daughters (and sons!) into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, or at least, pointing them in that direction.  I also pray that you will nurture your children in their faith with God.  Ultimately, the decision is up to them on whom they are going to serve and worship as adults.  As Christian parents, it's our honor and responsibility to point them in a godly direction that can bless them for the rest of their lives!

     If you feel strongly that you should provide spiritual guidance to your children in a specific way that is different from what I've shared here, that is fine.  Today, I'm merely sharing what the Lord has led our family to do with our daughters over the last 14 years.

An interesting fact . . .

     When I was a teacher in the public school system, one of the problems we dealt with was trying to enrich students' knowledge of life/culture/history as well as encourage them to enjoy reading books on their own. 

     For those students whose parents read to them when they were very young, and especially if they continued to read to their children as they grew, those children typically had much depth in their knowledge bank of life.  I'm not talking about any New Age kind of thing, so don't get scared off!  They would have more understanding of cultures, differences in people and families, and an awareness that there is more to this life than just inside my home, playing video games, and going to school for 9 months of the school year.

     For those children who had no one to read to them at home, their knowledge and depth of understanding of the nuances of life just wasn't there. 

     Children who had heard many hours of books from their parents or guardians were light-years beyond their peers who hadn't.  And it was almost impossible to make up the difference.  Children could read for 30 minutes a day at school as part of their school day, and still never catch up to the others who had been read to at home.

     After observing many children over the years, at my church, other Christian functions, and within the homeschooling community, I am seeing the same principle developing in our youth.

     Those children who have been exposed to the Holy Scriptures over and over again by their parents have such a great knowledge base of the Bible.  Not only do they know more, mentally, but they have a greater respect for the Christian faith.  They can give logical reasons why they believe what they believe.  Instead of just hanging onto Mom's and Dad's faith, they are taking this faith for themselves, making it a part of their own lives.

     They can view movies and read books that contain concepts contrary to Christianity, and they can wisely and logically point out what is wrong with that book or movie.  They show discernment.  They aren't perfect, but they are using wise judgment in their lives.

     Now, hear me out:  I'm not saying that if you, as a Christian parent, don't share your faith regularly with your children, that they will grow up without Christ and have no relationship with the Lord Jesus.  I'm saying that the chances of this are much more slim, especially if they attend public or private school.  80% of public/private schooled children from Christian families reject their Christian heritage when they leave home.  80% of homeschooled children from Christian families continue to embrace their Christian heritage and faith when they leave home as young adults.  You may not be a homeschooling parent.  If you aren't, you will need to work all the harder to build up your child's knowledge of the Scriptures and to disciple your children.  But ultimately, your child's choice to follow Christ will be her own.

     Unfortunately, many churched youth in my area don't have parents who are making it a priority to spend time each week in teaching and guiding their children in the Christian faith.  In the last several years, I've had youth pastors and youth group leaders tell me that sometimes, only one family in their entire youth group program is spending time reading and discussing the Bible together on a regular basis. 

     One family!  It shocks me to hear this.  Just imagine how Jesus Christ feels when we ignore our primary responsibility with our children.

     I cannot tell you how sad this makes me!  Just as a parent provides dinner each evening (or most evenings!), a Christian parent also needs to be providing spiritual food for their children at some point during most days.  This should be one of their #1 priorities as a Christian parent!  But sadly, this is often not happening among Christian families.

It is not my church's main role to provide spiritual guidance to my child.

It is not my pastor's main role to provide spiritual guidance to my child.

It is not my child's youth pastor's main role to provide spiritual guidance to my child. 

     Guess what?  It's my main role to provide spiritual guidance to my children!  And if you are a Christian parent, this needs to be your #1 role for your children!

How do we share our faith with our children?

1.  Pray with our children, every day.  I'm not being legalistic here.  If you are away from your child for a day or a few days, then obviously, it may be harder to pray with them.  But you can pray FOR them when you are separated.

2.  Mention what you are thankful for, especially when you are around your children.  Attribute your thankfulness to the Lord.  Be enthusiastic in sharing what the Lord is teaching you through His Word!  Be excited about the many ways that God is blessing your family!

3.  As much as possible, allow your husband to be the leader in reading the Bible and doing devotionals with your family.  If a husband is not confident in his abilities, there are many books for parents designed to guide the father in how to lead family worship times.  Many husbands who lack confidence in leading family worship time won't mind if their wives seek resources for the family to use, as long as dad has time to prepare each week.

4.  Provide Christian movies and books for our children.  Keep secular music and books to a minimum unless it is very family-friendly.

5.  Keep "electronics" time in your family to a minimum.  If your children are spending more time using electronics than they are reading God's Word, guess which of the two will win out as the hands-down favorite during free time?

6.  Make family worship time exciting!  Don't just drone on and on through a version of the Bible that your young children don't understand.  Plan to make your family worship time as something exciting, meaningful, and fulfilling.  If you believe strongly in the King James version of the Bible, be prepared for your little ones to have difficulty engaging in what is being read, until they are familiar enough with the vocabulary and verbiage to make sense of it. 

7.  Between you and the Lord, and around your family, do your best to avoid hypocrisy and anger.  These are spiritual "joy killers."

Resources for your family:

     There are many Christian resources available for families these days.  In my opinion, knowing what I now know about the types and range of materials available for Christian families, there really is no excuse for a family to not have family worship time on a regular basis.

     I'm not opposed to families using the King James version with their children.  However, I have sat in with families during family worship time who have primarily used the King James version, and the younger children are completely tuning it out, not focusing on what is being read.  Keep in mind that I haven't sat with your family, or many families, so if the King James version is working for the young children in your family, go for it!

     Our family started out with baby and toddler "Bibles" that focused on some of the true events and Psalms in the Scriptures.

     Over the years, we began using full children's Bibles and family devotional materials.

     Now, our children use regular adult Bibles and are very comfortable with them.

     If you're nervous about starting family worship time with your children, just start small.  Don't have grand illusions of what it will look like.  Pray, be open to the Holy Spirit for His leading, and just dive in!

Bible Resources for Toddlers and Pre-schoolers:

Herein Is Love:  Genesis through Numbers (Preschool)

The Big Picture
Story Bible

The Child's Story Bible,
by Catherine Vos (preschool)

Comfort for a Child's Heart, by Helen Haidle

My Favorite Bible

Baby's First Bible

Bible Resources for Elementary School students:

Church History ABCs

God's Mighty Acts in Creation,
by Starr Meade

Cookies & Milk,
by Helen Haidle

Journey to the Cross,
by Helen Haidle

Herein is Love:  Genesis through Numbers

The Jotham's Journey series for Advent, by Arnold Ytreeide

The Child's Story Bible, by Catherine Voss

What Does the Bible Say About That?

Who is God? series
by Apologia

The ESV Grow! Bible

Mighty Acts of God,
by Starr Meade

Deeper Roots:  Discovering Our Amazing God

The DK Illustrated Family Bible

The ESV Seek and Find Bible

Bible Resources for Junior High/Middle School students:

Deeper Roots:  Discovering Our Amazing God series

The God Girl Bible

Stand

The Life of Christ (Positive Action for Christ curriculum)

Stepping Heavenward:  A Bible Study Guide

Disciplines of a Godly Young Man

Bible Resources for High School students:

The Most Important Thing You'll Ever Study, by Starr Meade

The Victor Journey Through the Bible

Myth-Busters

The NIV Daily Bible in Chronological Order

Disciplines of a Godly Young Man (I know it's not for girls, really, but it's a great book and girls would also benefit from this book.)

     Tracy from Praying Proverbs 31.com has written a beautiful eBook, Praying Proverbs 31:  Prayers for a Daughter's Virtue.

 

Praying Proverbs 31:  Prayers for a Daughter's Virtue is so applicable to all moms who have daughters!  Not only is it richly steeped in the Word of God, especially the Proverbs, it provides opportunity for moms to pray specifically about many areas of their daughters' lives...and to answer questions in a simple journaling format. 

Praying Proverbs 31 is about touching the hearts and lives of our daughters through praying Scripture. It is both a devotional book and prayer guide, taking the truths of Proverbs 31 and using those truths to pray more specifically for our little women. One passage a week, one prayer a day for 10 weeks covering issues that are at the heart of womanhood: A Valuable Virtue, A Pure Life, A Rewarding Work, A Heart for Home, and more.

     Join me here throughout this week for all five days of 5 Days of Growing Godly Girls...and check out some other fabulous "5 Days of..." blog posts by other homeschooling parents:

 




Julieanne
Joy In Our Journey.com

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