Thanks for stopping by my blog today! If you read my devotion, Strength for Your Struggle, then you know my years of being a single parent was difficult on all levels. It took time for me to learn that God’s grace was sufficient.
Sufficient for all my failures such as…
Being too tried to always be there for my child.
Yelling out of anger instead disciplining out love.
Not always practicing what I preach.
The list is long.
I use to feel guilty about my failings as a single parent. Maybe you do too. In order to relief my guilt, I would give my child things he wanted but had no lasting value. The good news is we can find freedom from guilt by confessing our shortcomings to God. He is always willing to forgive us. Once forgiven, we can begin anew as if this were the first day of the rest of our lives!
One of the best things you can do as a parent is to give your children Jesus and teach them about the ways of God. In fact, God commands that you do.
“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7).
Family devotions are one of the best ways can teach our children to love God. I admit that teaching my children about God and His ways have been difficult over the years. We didn’t always have “family devotion” time. I wished we had. But today is a new day! So, let’s begin.
Here are some suggestions to get you started.
- Design your family time to meet the needs of your family.
- Involve all members.
- Keep it between 10-20 minutes.
- Change it up from time to time to keep it fresh and engaging.
- Practice what you teach.
You and your kids can use this time singing, reading directly from the bible, memorizing scripture, talking about how you saw God at work in your life today, reading from a biblical sound storybook or poems, commentaries or watching a Christian movie together and talking about what each person learned afterwards.
Be creative but don’t allow guilt to creep in if you miss a night or two. If time doesn’t allow, you can always sing along to a Christian radio station in the car, talk about spiritual things around the dinner table, or practice reciting a memorized verse. Any of these will lead to a healthy discussion about your child’s day. It gives you an opportunity to encourage your child and influence him/her in ways that can benefit their future, their family, their community, church, and country. ….just as God planned.
Food for Thought:
C. H. Spurgeon said this: “Oh, Christian men and women, be thorough in what you do and know and teach! Let your families be trained in the fear of God, and be yourselves holiness unto the Lord. So shall you stand like a rock amid the surging waves of error and ungodliness which rage around us.”
Today, I’m praying that you experience the grace of God and His power in you as you parent your children.
For more encouragement, connect with me on Facebook and twitter!
Blessings,
Siya says
Hello Mica,
I thank God this morning for my friend that send me your devotion, reading it brought tears to me as i am a single mother and its not easy. So many things that need your attention and strength and how ever you try to meet them all it just never seems enough.
I really need His grace every second in my life, i cannot do without it or else i’ll crack.
Thank you for sharing with us and blessing me and encouraging me.
God bless you.