My third child had a birthday last week. She is now 9. I am so thankful for this sweet child, she is a gift that I prayed for. We were not sure we would have more than two children but I had a deep desire in me for more and I began praying that, if the Lord was willing, He would make it happen.
I see something in her eyes that has my momma heart concerned. As the third child I feel she may feel insignificant and not as important. It is IMPERATIVE to me that her identity is firmly rooted in Christ. She is a very strong young lady and I believe that if I can help her thought patterns to develop in a heathy way, she can overcome so many of the obstacles I have faced in my thought life.
We are a homeschooling family and I like to start out our days with a fresh baked breakfast and a devotion along with a plan for their schooling for the day. I feel very lead to start a morning study this week that will root my children in their identity in Christ. This study will be based on the book by Neil Anderson, Who I Am In Christ. I was blessed to hear Neil speak at a local church about 18 years ago and I have read several of his books. I will be keeping our morning time simple and using only the Scripture cards and the image below. I plan to play this song for my children as I am setting the table w Cranberry Orange bread that is baking right now along w a steaming mug of homemade wassail.
The beginning of our study will be simply stating what is written below and explaining to them why it is so important to me that they are firmly rooted in Christ. I have often attached my identity to many things other than who I am in Christ. I am Nathan's wife, I am Emma's mom, I am a CC Director, I am a Sunday School teacher... you get what I am saying right? All of those things are true and good but that does not define me. What others think of me does not define me either. The most important thing about me is not what others say about me or what they think or feel about me. The only thing that is true about me is what God says about me. God says that in Christ I am...
This is what I want my children to cling to. When the world tries to tell them who to be (because the world WILL try to fit them into a mold), I want these words to echo in their mind. When a bully is picking on them, when they get in a fight with a friend, when they are embarrassed about something and even in the middle of their sin, I want them to remember these important things about who they REALLY are!
Who I am In Christ Scripture CardsI found this neat blog with free printable Scripture cards! I plan to cut these out and place them around the house so my children can look at these when they are brushing their teeth, washing their hands, unstacking the dishwasher, whatever their daily task is. I want the Words of God to be ever before them . We will also pick a Scripture to write and memorize like we are doing every week.
She also has a link to a free printable journal with the images below.
Click here to be taken to her page.
I love these bookmarks from Neil Anderson.
You can purchase a set of 50 bookmarks like this here (not affiliated).
I love the quote from Neil, "Understanding your identity in Christ is absolutely essential for your success at living a victorious Christian life." If we understand who we are in Christ, we will not listen to the lies of the enemy who tries to distract us and get us to deviate from the path the Lord has prepared for us. We will not fulfill our true purpose. If we can be taught to believe that our worth lies in something that is tangible then we are building our lives on shifting sand and we will fall when the storms of life come. If we can build our confidence and identity in Christ then we will NOT be shaken and WILL stand firm on the Rock when the wind and the waves of life try to beat us down.
I want all of my children to be strong and to have the quiet confidence and joyful purpose that I wrote about in this post. I strongly desire that they know exactly who they are and that they were created for a purpose. So often I see young people today searching for an identity. It could be what they watch, what they say, how they dress. They want to buy a certain pair of shoes because their best friend has a pair (aren't we all like that). But i want them to bust out of that mold. It is crucial that they grasp this now because by the time they are off to college it will be too late to teach them to go their own way, to stand up for what is right and to draw their identity from their Creator.
I am confident that He who began a good work in my children will carry it on through completion until the day of Christ. I am willing and happy to do my part and teach them diligently. I know that the Word of Christ is eternal and will not return void.
Thank you for reading. I would love to know what you are instilling in your children this week. Visit me on IG and leave me a DM or comment down below.
Grace and peace,
Sharon
Hello, am putting together a program to teach children their true identity in God and the content on this page so far has been the very best that i have come across. Thank you so very much for sharing. kudos
ReplyDeleteHello, am putting together a program to teach children their true identity in God and the content on this page so far has been the very best that i have come across. Thank you so very much for sharing. kudos
ReplyDeleteHello. I am from Nigeria. I am organising a camp for children and teenagers on who they are in Christ and their purpose, this your page is such an immense blessing in adding to the materials I am gathering. Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteTogether, God is raising an army of generation who know their God, through us. I am glad to meet you.