Raising Uncommon KidsChikamu

Lesson Title: Active Restraint
Character Focus: Patience
Prayer Focus: Church/Community Group
Focus Verse: COL.3.12

Servant leadership has become a common phrase in society today, but for kids who are used to being placed on a pedestal and having their needs taken care of before all else, this concept can be a foreign one. The best place to practice being second is within a church and community group.

This small cross-section of God’s people can be just the place kids need to learn how to exhibit patience, celebrate others, and trust in God’s plan.

Servant leadership means being second and realizing we can accomplish more together than apart. Learning how to celebrate others and trust God’s plan is not always the easiest concept to teach our children to embrace, yet it is essential when it comes to putting patience into practice.

Although your kids may regularly test your patience, use that as a reminder to practice patience in your own life so it can spill out into your interactions with them. Only then will your kids truly understand the balance between the steady, even-tempered perseverance and the active, selfless restraint that goes into living a life full of patience.

Thought to Ponder: Serve where you are, serve with your kids and be willing to serve without recognition.

Make it Practical:
Don’t wait for the ‘right’ opportunity to serve, just give the best of what you have wherever you are and be willing to do whatever is asked of you. The church is a great place to serve because there is always a need for volunteers and almost always a place for your kids to serve alongside you. Even if you start by serving sporadically, this simple act of walking out your faith with your kids will demonstrate that you don’t have to have all the answers to help someone else.