The Importance of God in Children’s Lives
Why God?
Why do children need God in their lives? Church attendance has declined in America over the years. Schools are forbidden to teach about God or the Bible. Crime has risen sharply and many families are falling apart because of divorce, drugs or other divisive issues. Society is definitely facing many changes with the advances in modern technology. TV shows have become more graphic on all levels. Movies have followed in the script same lines as television. Computer games are also more graphic depicting killings and dismemberment of bodies.
Moreover, children have discovered Tik-Tok and YouTube that often display programs that are not suitable for children. Parents are often unaware that their children have accessed these graphic programs. Consequently, not only is today’s society becoming more desensitized, but today’s children are becoming desensitized as well to these negative programs that are infusing society at an increasing level. Drugs are more rampant as individuals seek to alleviate the pain of loneliness, stress and lack of purpose. Society is more divided politically and economically with the high rate of inflation hurting many families as they continue to attempt to make ends meet in their budgets. Any sense of security and unity seems to have evaporated from today’s individuals along with its children. So why do children need God?
God provides a sense of security.
The Bible tells of the love of God for His people including our children. Security is found when the individual feels safe and secure in his or her environment. That same security becomes available to children when they learn how much God loves them. The child never has to face any problem alone. Moreover, the child learns the security in facing not only big problems but in every day situations that cause the child stress. Today’s teens are facing increasing amounts of stress in both their home lives as well as in school.
I have tutored teens who cut themselves, try to commit suicide, and who feel alone and hopeless because no one has taught them about the constant love of God and how God has a purpose for their lives. Each child is created in a unique way with talents and abilities. Our job as parents is to encourage the development of these abilities in each child. The earlier a child learns about God’s unfailing love, the more secure he or she becomes in life. We all know that life is complex with many obstacles and problems to solve. We grow into maturity as we face and solve our problems, yet how much less stressful that journey would be if the individual knew the love of God that was freely guiding his or her path through life. Children definitely need more security in their lives.
God teaches self -worth
Today’s children and teens often lack a sense of purpose. They become desensitized to many emotions because of their participation of video games and social media that can quickly deflate a young person with mean cruel thoughtless comments. Why have some teens committed suicide from social media bullying? Where was their sense of self-worth? When individuals have a strong sense of self =worth, they also develop a strong drive to develop and enhance that self-worth. Many professional athletes like Patrick Mahomes came from a family of athletes that encouraged competitive sports. Therefore, these athletes developed aa sense of self-worth and purpose at an early age. Sometimes children seek to follow in the footsteps of their parents who are doctors or lawyers, police or military professions. So they have developed a sense of purpose at an early age. But, what about the child with no role model or no self esteem from the school or family environment? Where is that purpose to be found?
It is found in the belief that God has good plans for everyone no matter what his or her ethnicity or skin color is. God created each child with unique gifts that need to be discovered and developed. In my book, The Giving Goat, I created a story of a little goat growing up on a big farm who sees all the animals with a purpose. He does not know what his purpose is but soon discovers it in a wonderful way. Every child has a meaningful purpose for his or her life from God. Therefore, self-worth is enhanced when children are reminded of this wonderful concept daily. They can then face the bullies and the other problems in their lives with confidence and courage because they are not alone. This summer various churches offered a week of Vacation Bible School to elementary school children. The program was usually free or had provisions to help those who could not afford its nominal fee. I was a leader in one program and witnessed the continual reiteration of the importance of each child. I was able to see children come alive with the realization of their unique importance. Children are “hungry” for the realization that each one of them has innate self-worth.
God teaches kindness and compassion
Children gain a strong sense of achievement and personal pride when they are given the opportunity to help others. Schools often have fund-raisers where children bring in canned goods to feed the hungry or where they run a jog-s-thon to raise money for a worthy cause. I believe children do like to share and express kindness to others. Recently, there was a terrible plane crash that took the lives of a mother and father of one of my student’s best friends. He was grieving and did not know how to reach out to help his orphaned friend. I suggested writing a card to the friend and telling him how sorry he felt. He would continue to be his fried both inside and outside of school. The student made a beautiful card, and I could see a smile cross his sad face as he discovered the benefits to both himself and to his friend with this simple act of kindness.
Moreover, I always encourage my students to be kind and thoughtful to each other at the tutoring table. I discuss the importance of treating each other with respect. An example is one fourth grade boy always fills water and ice for his friend to drink at the tutoring table or when another student shares a pencil, pen or paper with another individual. These random acts of kindness escalate and create a positive learning environment that the student can take out into the world. I comment on how thoughtful those actions are. Children love praise from others and soon discover that kindness produces more kindness. I also teach the idea of passing on kindness. I freely gave money to a young adult family member in need. He said he would pay me back. I replied, “I don’t need the money back. Find someone else in need and pass on this kindness”. He did and has learned a valuable lesson in kindness.
Children should be encouraged to be kind to each other. Some examples of kindness can be to make cards for people in assisted living homes. Children can also bake cookies and take them to shelters. They can help work in local food pantries. There are many programs that allow the adoption of a family at Christmas. I had my 3 children help with buying gifts and taking cooked meals to these underprivileged families. These acts taught my children how to give to others. My children were also exposed to poverty and the problems others face. I tutored a family who lived in a homemade shelter and ate outside on a park bench. They cooked over a brick homemade fire pit. I took my sons to visit the little boy who was their age and who lived there. They were so shocked at the poverty in our small town that they donated their bike to this little boy. My sons learned the value of sharing and continue to pass that concept down to their children. One of my sons and his son now volunteer at a local community garden growing fresh vegetables for the underserved. All acts of kindness follow God’s teachings and perpetuate happiness and love within the child.
God provides boundaries and structure
What keeps farm animals from escaping from pens? What keeps pets from running away? It is a fence. Fences provide structure and containment for the safety of the animals. God’s words provide structure for our lives. They give us and our children a set of guidelines to follow for our safety and for our security. What happens to a society that ignores laws and structure? Anarchy erupts. What is happening in our big cities where criminals are not prosecuted if their theft is less that $1,000? Robberies escalate and stores close because of huge losses of revenues. Likewise, what happens in schools when no discipline is exerted? Chaos and little learning occurs?
Finally, what happens to homes that do not provide safe and secure structure with boundaries that are established to ensure the respect and development of its children? Society does a disservice to its inhabitants when it removes structure and boundaries. Successful parenting provides needed structure to give a child a sense of security. An example is climbing steep stairs to the top of a mountain with a beautiful view. There are handrails on each side of the stairs to provide a structure of boundaries and safety. Beyond the handrails on each side of the rails are steep jagged rocks and bushes with sharp thorns. Clearly the rails protect the climber just like the structure and boundaries in homes, schools and society are needed to protect society and our children. Clearly, boundaries and structure are very necessary components to the successful growth and development of our children. These components are also essential to our adult population as well.
