Raising A Courageous Child
Do you want your child to be courageous or a snowflake?
I assume you want your child to take on the world, despite hurtful words or actions aimed at them. During this final installment on building godly character in our children, we’ll focus on courage, the most necessary virtue.
Our verse this week is taken from Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth. Those early Christians were struggling to stay on the path of righteousness God had laid out for them so Paul gave them some words of instruction and encouragement.
As the church in Corinth, we, too, struggle with living amongst a hostile culture. Messages are constantly coming at you and your children which undermine everything Jesus taught. So, Paul’s instruction to the early church seems appropriate to us today.
Paul told the church to “be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.” We can assume if Paul were speaking to us today, he’d say the same thing.
How can your children be on their guard? First, they must know the biblical truths of how God loves them and wants them to conduct themselves. They must know the Bible and I strongly encourage you to have them memorize Scripture, such as the one we’re covering today. (This chart will help>>> 7 DAYS AND 7 WAYS CHART ) When they know what behaviors God desires, it’ll be easier for them to be on guard for what behaviors God does not prefer.
If your child were confronted with hurtful words by a peer, is your child prepared to stand firm in their faith? Do they have the necessary courage to not go with the flow of the culture? Without faith in God’s love and righteousness, they will not be able to sustain the strength on their own.
I find it helpful when I teach children, to always point back to Jesus. Did Jesus have courage? Did Jesus go along with the culture?
Some of you may recall the WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) slogan. Help your child learn WWJD. So when someone encourages them to do a certain thing, they’ll ask themselves, “Would Jesus say these words or do this action?” “Would Jesus cheat on this test?” “Would Jesus (you fill in the blank)?”
Courage is required to live life with godly character. It takes courage to respect those who disrespect you, to show love to those hard to love, to always tell the truth, to do your work when you prefer to play, to not throw in the towel when the going gets tough, or to control your actions and words. All of it requires COURAGE.
Jesus had the courage to die on a cross for actions He did not commit. Anything we or our children face pales in comparison to the cross. Keep this truth close to your heart.
Love y’all,
Ginny
Pray along with me: “Dear Lord, help me teach my children your word so they’ll have the ability to show courage and do what you desire for them. Amen.”
