As a mom, I have many things I desire for my children. I want them to have deep roots in our family life. I want them to be self-aware, to find something they love to do, to have true friends, to marry one day, and to have their own children.
But, my main desire is for my children to have faith. Why is it important to connect our children to faith?
It has taken me many years to realize that much of who I am today comes from a spiritual connection beyond myself. Faith affects my integrity, my work ethic, how I think of others, where I spend my time, and my money. My connection to God deeply impacts what I think about myself.
So, it is the main priority in our family to connect our children to faith. We can talk about what it means to be a person of integrity, but ultimately, our children will need to learn to define character for themselves. Where will they find the truth they need to navigate this world without my intentional efforts to introduce them to our loving God?
Their connection to their spiritual sides equips them to something much larger than themselves and goes well beyond our family. It also will form a solid, biblical worldview for them to stand on in the future.
No matter where you are with faith in your own life, there are things you can do to lead your children to have a spiritual connection in their childhood.
How do we connect our children to faith? Here are a few suggestions you could try in your family.
- Model It: I intentionally pray out loud where my children will hear me. This has become a discipline for me. I have to choose to pray in the car rather than listening to my favorite podcast. I read the Bible or books about faith in front of them. I model repentance when I say, “I am sorry that I yelled at you when I was frustrated. Mommy made a mistake. Will you forgive me?” This works well when I have to ask my husband to forgive me as well. I have heard that behavior is much better “caught” than “taught” so my children will hopefully remember my actions shaped by my personal connection to faith.
- Connect Your Children to Mentors: Recently, I learned that children need four to five other voices of leadership in their lives in addition to their parents. They need other adults acting as cheerleaders, coaches, mentors, and leaders. They need to hear from someone else other than mom say to them that they are smart, valuable, and beautiful. They need someone else outside of your family to model their faith. Be very selective in who these people are because they are who your children will emulate. But it takes the pressure off of you having to be the sole person talking to them about faith and character. Mentors can be formally brought into your family for each child with a schedule and a clear plan, or they can be a young adult with great character who has meals with your family from time to time who connects well with your child.
- Go to Church: People have been going to church for generations and it may seem like such a simple suggestion. But a good church offers connections for the whole family. You can meet friends for yourself in moms’ groups. Your spouse can meet fellow dads for outings. Churches offer summer programs for children including Vacation Bible School and camps. Even if you are unsure where you are in your faith journey, church can be a great place to connect with others with similar questions. Many churches have activities during the week, including classes for young children. Don’t let former challenges with church keep you from stepping back in again. It is a great way to connect your child to faith without any answers or ongoing commitment. It allows your family to explore faith together!
- Ask for Help: I am a big proponent of asking for help in areas where I feel weak. If you are struggling to connect yourself and your family to faith but you feel a nag in your heart to move towards God, seek a friend or even a new connection. Perhaps you have noticed that your neighbor has a special spiritual connection. He or she would probably enjoy a conversation with you about it. Take that leap of faith and bring it up. I would love this kind of conversation and I invite you to reach out to me anytime. I’ve likely asked the very question you have in your mind in my own long journey in faith.
As moms, we can find a thousand ways we think we are falling short in raising our children. Maybe you have wanted to connect your family to faith for a long time with no clear direction. I get that! Perhaps your own pain, grief, or lack of faith has kept you from connecting your children to their spiritual selves. I get that too!
The great thing about being a mom is you get so many second chances and tomorrow is a new day. I fail a lot which actually makes me really good at connecting my children to faith. They see me fail and they see me get back up. They see me need Jesus. They see me make mistakes and then I say, “Forgive me. Let’s make this right.” I get new chances all day long to let them see me walk in faith. Some moments I get it right and some moments I get so very wrong.
But I think that is what faith is anyway: Relying on Jesus instead of myself.
Reach out to me anytime. I would enjoy knowing your faith journey and your faith questions. How do you connect your children to faith? Why is faith important in your family?
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11:1
Click the link for a great resource in your family’s faith journey: https://www.justbringithome.com/
