When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. Psalm 56:3 (NLT)
How many times have you heard an exasperated parent or adult use this line? “Just do as I say!”
The problem is that children don’t do what we say; they do what we do! We often forget that our kids and others around us are watching how we react to bad news, or how we respond when we’re fearful. Do you react to fear by getting anxious? Do you get stressed and start barking orders at everyone?
I was recently chatting with the youth pastors at our church. They were telling me how many teenagers today are heavily governed by fear. The kids talk frequently about how stressed they feel.
In fact, walking through the halls of our elementary school campus one day, I remember seeing a grade one student exclaim to his little friend, “I’m just so stressed today!” What was that six-year-old doing? What are teenagers doing? They are copying the language and actions they witness at home.
As parents, let’s make sure that we’re not transferring a spirit of fear into our children. I want to challenge you to teach your kids from a sense of faith. As leaders in our homes, we must show our kids how to live rooted in faith. We are our kids’ primary in-house examples of how to know peace in the middle of a storm, how to make relationships work, and how to put unfailing trust in God when we’re afraid.
Teach your kids God’s Word and model your beliefs in real life. Let your kids see your faith in action every day. After all, kids don’t just do as you say. They do what you do!