Christmas with Kids!
Hey Parents, I’ve got a thought for you as we head into this Christmas Season with our kids.
Every year at this time of year, it seems like the whole world turns its eyes to Jesus…. which, by the way, is awesome.
One of the things this does for us as parents is that it gives us another natural opportunity to have deeper conversations with our kids about our faith. And I think this is so important.
Praying Parents
As I think about the Christmas story, about the birth of Christ, I can’t help but think about the birth of another child whose name was John.
John’s parents were well past the child bearing years, or so they thought. But they also received good news that brought them great joy when an angel appeared to Zechariah and told him they would have a son and they should name him John.
For decades Zechariah and Elizabeth had prayed for children. They were praying parents even before they were parents! And now, at just the right time, God is answering that prayer.
When John was born, his father was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke a prophecy over his life.
I can just imagine him holding his child up before all his friends and family and speaking these words with pride in his heart and tears in his eyes:
“And you, my little son,
will be called the prophet of the Most High,
because you will prepare the way for the Lord.”
– Luke 1.76
And that’s just what John did. He leveraged his life to prepare the way for Jesus.
Parent’s Faith Passed On
At some point, I’m not sure when, but at some point John chose God’s plan for his life over his plan for his life. He decided that his parent’s faith would become his faith.
The prophecy spoken over him at birth would have just been nice words except for the fact that John chose to live into the words spoken over his life.
He would be known for living in the wilderness, eating locust and wild honey, and baptizing people in the Jordan River for the forgiveness of their sins so that their hearts and lives could be prepared for the coming of the Lord.
Which makes me wonder, HOW did John get to this point in his life where he was ready and willing to say, “YES LORD,” to the calling on his life?
Parents, have you ever wondered this? How in the world can we help our kids get to the point in their lives where they are ready & willing to say, “YES LORD,” to the calling that God has over their lives. Where they are ready to embrace God’s plans for their lives over their own plans for their lives?
I don’t know exactly how this happened for John, but here are a few quick thoughts.
6 Ways to Help Our Kids Know Jesus this Christmas
1. His Parent’s Faith was Real.
First, I think it’s clear that his parent’s faith was real. Zechariah & Elizabeth believed in God and their lives were shaped by their belief in God.
Everything they did depended on their faith in God and John grew up seeing his parent’s faith lived out.
2. His Life Had Purpose
Next, John knew his life had purpose. He knew his birth story and the prophecy spoken over his life by his father through the power of the Holy Spirit.
I don’t believe John ever felt pressured into a life of ministry or that he had to live his life a certain way because of his parents, but he was told this story over and over again, that God had a plan for his life. And he believed it so deeply he was ready and willing to live into God’s plan for his life.
3. He KNEW God
I also believe that John KNEW GOD. His parents taught him not just to know about God, but to KNOW God.
John knew the stories, he knew what God had done, but he also knew God! He had a relationship with God that changed everything for him.
4. His Parent’s Encountered God
I think that’s true because I believe John’s parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth, had encounters with God in the quiet.
Zechariah had an angelic encounter in the Temple the day he learned he would become a father, but the years and decades leading up to that moment were filled with time spent over time in quiet prayer to God with God.
Parents who have experiences with God in solitude and silence raise kids who know God is real.
5. His Parent’s were Filled with the Holy Spirit
Here’s another reason I believe John grew up with such a deep and life changing faith…. Both Zechariah and Elizabeth were filled with the Holy Spirit.
When parents live lives filled with the Holy Spirit, guided by the Holy Spirit, and empowered by the Holy Spirit it changes everything, including the way we parent and raise our kids.
6. It’s Not About Me
And here’s the last thing… John knew his life wasn’t about him. He grew up understanding, “It’s not about me.”
The life he lived he lived for God and for others. So instead of spending his life trying to find his path, his way, he spent his life pointing others to the Way, to Jesus.
AND… this was John’s ultimate mission and purpose in life. To GUIDE people, to point people, to Jesus. I don’t know about you, but i would be incredibly proud if my children did the same.
Learning from Godly Parents
If we can learn anything from Zechariah and Elizabeth I believe it’s this… raising children to know God, love God, and serve God begins with us knowing God, loving God, and serving God.
We can raise our kids to leverage their lives for His glory, but it begins with us. It starts with faith-filled parents living faithful lives.
So today, I’m praying for you. As you strive to raise your kids to know Jesus, who will say YES LORD to his calling on their lives, I pray that they’ll see you living your life and leveraging your life for His glory.
I pray they’ll see you saying YES LORD in everyday ordinary ways. From the way you spend time in scripture in prayer, to the way you love and serve in your church, in your neighborhood, and those in need, to the way you turn your attention during Christmas to Jesus.
May your children know about all else that you love God.
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