Fear Who?

Many are the fears of the military child, often stirred up when PCS-ing: fear of not fitting in, of being alone, of missing out, of not making the cut or measuring up. All the basic questions await answers all over again: Who am I? Where do I belong? What is my worth?

Fear can cause many an unwise decision.

But if we can help our children start with an appropriate view of the Lord, other fears begin to diminish. It won’t matter as much that the girls didn’t invite her along if she is friends with Jesus who will always be with her. He won’t be as devastated for not making the soccer team if his confidence is in the master designer of the universe. They won’t easily yield to the temptation to do wrong if they highly regard their relationship with their heavenly father.

Respect and obey the LORD! This is the beginning of knowledge.
Only a fool rejects wisdom and good advice.
Proverbs 1:7 (CEV)

Some bible versions call this a fear of the Lord. Fear of the Lord does not mean being scared of God, rather it is a deep respect for, and confidence in, his ultimate authority.

So pray about how you can show your children a reverent fear of the Lord as they set out to answer life’s questions about themselves. Together as a family, work on following the Lord’s direction rather than what the finances, promotions, circumstances, peers, authorities, cultural kudos, and status quo dictate.

Growing in the fear of the Lord goes hand in hand with being led by the Holy Spirit. We can cooperate with the Spirit’s work in us by practicing the disciplines of praying, reading the Bible, and being in community with other believers. While so many other things change during a PCS, work hard to keep these practices steady for you and your family.

PRAY

Lord, I have many fears about my child’s future and my own life. Help me know you are greater than all of these fears and that our lives are in your hands. Amen.

TIME TO TALK

Conversation starter for kids: Provides you with questions and prompts to facilitate a time of applicable discussion with children to lead them towards knowing God and His Word more deeply.

Question(s): How is God bigger than our problems? What could he do for us right now?

Apply: Talk about, and re-read, a favorite Bible story that shows God’s power. Two ideas are Daniel’s run-in with some hungry lions (Daniel 6) and the time a young boy’s small lunch fed thousands of people (Matthew 14).

KEEP IT GOING

Related passages: These verses will help parents expand Scriptural knowledge and place on the armor of God’s Word to tackle each day.

Daniel 3:17-18

1 Peter 1:17