WHAT REALLY MATTERS?

Teaching Kids to Weigh Their Choices

By Laura Wise

Everyone makes hundreds, sometimes
thousands, of choices each day. That
sounds ridiculous, but it is true. And we
all know we should teach our kids to
make wise decisions, so when we
teach them to stop and think about
opportunity cost, they begin to
understand that it is ok to choose. More
importantly, they begin to see choices
as opportunities instead of missing out
or failures.

By teaching them to look at
opportunity cost in a more positive light
we give them permission to do what is
best for them as Christians using the
Bible, through prayer, and taking time to
ask other Christians to help guide them. Learning about opportunity cost also helps alleviate
pressures from peers, media, and other outside sources.

The great thing is you can start right now!  What better time of the year to reflect on what really matters than the Christmas Season as we reflect on all that Jesus did for us and begin to evaluate what we can do in the new year.

One might think that kids could easily understand that every choice we make is important.
Especially when people tweet, message, text, or share EVERYTHING these days. Well, parenting is
never that easy, they still need you to guide them. They still need you to talk them through the
importance of weighing the pros and cons of each decision.

One simple way to start is to remind them that we are living in a time when one mistake can drastically change any plans or dreams we have.  Don’t share this to scare them but share this as a guide or filter for them to use when making decisions and weighing their options then follow up with a reminder that we will all fail and that we shouldn’t be afraid to fail, but we will have to accept any consequences (good and bad). This is also a great time to talk about God’s love and forgiveness.

Where Do We Begin

By Devin Dummel

Back in the day, I thought I was pretty slick.  I think most Jr. High School kids feel that way.    I felt the feeling the strongest as I peered through the blinds watching my parents leave for church.  This wasn’t a one-time thing.  I did it often.  A fake cough here; a “Mom I don’t feel so good” there.  The real secret was heating up a washcloth and putting it on my forehead for a few minutes and sure enough, as fast as my mother’s hand left my head, they bought it.  As I would watch my parents pull out of our driveway in my father’s old Crown Victoria, a sense of jubilation would wash over me.

I would fire up the Sega Genesis and play video games for a couple hours until they got home.  When I heard the garage door I tossed the controller, hopped quickly in bed, pulled the covers up and pretended to be asleep.  At that age I was sure they fell for it every time, now I’m not so sure.

When I was that age I would do anything I could to get out of going to church.  Most kids go through a phase like that.  And as parents, we often feel pretty ill-equipped to help our children grow in their faith.  It might be because no one ever helped us at that age, or it could be because we struggle to lead ourselves at times.  Whatever the reason, most if not all parents feel this way at one time or another.  Perhaps the most difficult part of trying to raise our children to grow in their faith, is trying to figure out where to start?

Proverbs 22:6 says,   “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

God seems to indicate that there is a direct connection between how we teach our children during these first phases of their lives and the ultimate trajectory of their lives.  That’s huge when you think about it.  Not to put more pressure on you, but what you do now matters.  How you lead and teach your children about God now has the ability to impact them for a lifetime.

While that may seem overwhelming and intimidating it doesn’t have to be, because there is some great news:  You are not alone.

You may be responsible for your child, but you don’t have to do it all by yourself.  There is no question that you are the greatest influence in your child’s life.  But you aren’t the only influence.  God has designed the church to be a support for you and a partner in helping your family grow more and more in their faith.

So, if we want to make sure our children grow in their faith and start down a path toward God that they will never depart from, where does it start?  It starts with the church.  It starts with going to church.  It starts with making a commitment that being a part of the church matters.  It starts with making it a priority.

If we want to raise our children to find and follow Jesus then it begins with making the decision as a family that nothing else matters more.  Sleeping in isn’t more important.  Sports aren’t more important.  Regular weekend trips to the lake all summer are not more important.  What matters most is consistently showing up and showing our kids what it looks to make God our number one priority.