Why Should I Dedicate My Kids? Mfano

How Do I Love My Kid Like Jesus? 

Child dedication is not salvation for your children. The dedication of a child is a decision made by you, the parent. The choice to accept salvation and follow Jesus is a choice that your children must make on their own. 

Paul puts it the most clearly in Romans 10:9-10 when he states that by declaring with our mouths and believing with our hearts that Jesus is Lord and was raised from the dead we will be saved. He didn’t say: “By your parents declaring with their mouth and believing with their heart …” That can be a hard pill to swallow. Because it’s only natural to want to choose the best for the people we love the most. While we cannot choose for them, we can set them up for success by showing our kids and others in our lives what it looks like to walk with Jesus. 

Every parent has the opportunity of representing the love of Jesus to their children in such a way that sparks curiosity and a desire to follow Christ too. The greatest desire of our hearts should mirror the greatest desire of God’s—for His kids to know and walk with Him. 

Modeling Jesus to your kids is a high and often heavy calling, but really, it looks like loving and serving them to the best of your ability. In John 13:34-35, Jesus instructs His disciples to love one another as He has loved them, and this will be the way the world knows they are His disciples. The watching world, including our kids, will know who He is by the way we love. 

How did Jesus love us? He chose to serve. The night before His death, He chose to wash His disciples’ feet. The King of the universe wrapped a cloth around His waist and washed the dust and dirt from the feet of His followers. As a parent, God has placed you in a position of leadership and authority over your children, but to truly represent Christ to them you must be willing to humbly wrap the cloth around your waist and wash their feet. 

Do you have to have a foot washing ceremony at bath time tonight? No. But there are simple, practical things you can implement today: 

• Be intentional about how you spend time with them.
• Affirm the amazing things you see in them!
• Listen! Find out the things they care about and enjoy. 
• Pray for and with them. 
• Tell them “I love you” every chance you get! 

The truth is, you don’t have to be a superstar theologian to model Jesus to your children. Remember, God intentionally chose you for this specific role. Trust that He will empower you to point your kids back to Him. Colossians 1:15 says that Jesus is the perfect, visible image of the invisible God. So keep following Jesus. Because the more we look, love, and live like Him, the more our kids will get to catch a glimpse of their Father in heaven. 

Prayer: 

God, I know that You love my children. Today, I pray that they will come to know Your love. I pray that they will make the decision to follow You every day of their lives. Give me the strength to raise them in an environment that is a constant reminder of what that looks like. Help me to lead my children to knowing You.