Little Parenting Habits for Big Faith in Your KidsSýnishorn

What’s the best way to disciple kids?

When I began having kids, I read endless parenting books and family faith-development blogs, but eventually all that just made me want to back away and rock in a corner. I was so tired of being told I had to do all the things to be a “good Christian mom.” Was I really failing if I didn’t hold regular worship sessions with my kids and say in-depth prayers and read chapters of the Bible and memorize a verse a week and know the answers to every theological question and have my kids do workbook-style Bible studies? And since I couldn’t do all the things, was I messing up my boys for eternity?

Each book I read made me feel more and more overwhelmed. But simply shrugging off the guilt and not doing anything wasn’t an option. I wanted to do something—but what could I do that was attainable . . . and still helped me and my kids grow more toward Christ? I knew there had to be a better way.

THE POWER OF LITTLE

In Canada, we joke that we only have two seasons: winter and construction—otherwise known as “the making of the potholes” and “the fixing of the potholes.” Through autumn, winter, and spring, small amounts of melted snow find their way into microscopic cracks in the road. Every time the temperature falls below freezing, that water turns into ice. If you’ve ever put a glass container of soup in the freezer, you know what happens when water turns to ice: it expands. Soup freezing in a too-small container can break glass, and water freezing in those cracks in the road can break asphalt. After eight months of the thaw-freeze-thaw-freeze cycle, you end up with huge potholes and cracks in the road.

Just as a few dribbles of water have the power to crack open a solid road, small but consistent choices have the power to crack into a busy routine and change the terrain of my family’s faith.

THE POWER OF LITTLE IN THE BIBLE

After the Israelites returned from exile in Babylon, they began rebuilding the temple—and the neighboring nations kicked up a fuss with the king of Persia. The Israelites were scared, so for years, they let their fear keep them from rebuilding the temple.

Finally, God spoke to a young priest, telling Zechariah that Israel needed to get back to work on the temple. They weren’t going to get it built in a night, but God reminded them not to despise small beginnings.

You may be tempted to despise small beginnings, wondering what difference this habit could possibly make in your child’s life. But just as the temple couldn’t be rebuilt until the builders laid the first stone, your child’s faith won’t be built until you start the first small habit. And like the temple being raised, stone by stone, your child’s faith will grow as you slowly and sustainably build tiny faith habits into your life.

And what happens when those small habits add up?

Jesus specializes in taking our little and turning it into a lot. Remember how He took five loaves of bread and two fish and fed thousands? We don’t need a lot when we bring our little to God because His grace is sufficient for us, and His power is made perfect in our weakness.

PRAYER:

God, You are the Lord of “more than enough”. You don’t need me to be enough for my kids and you don’t need me to do enough. Your grace really is sufficient for me, and Your power is made perfect in my weakness. Help me not to be afraid to start small when it comes to discipling my kids, but to trust that when I am weak, Your strength is magnified. In Jesus’ name, Amen.