Thursday, August 18, 2011

Help Your Kids Be Faith Heroes

“Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12)

The apostle Paul assured Timothy that even though he was young, God could use him in a big way.
 
Children’s heroes can be fictional or real, from cartoon and movie characters to pop singers and fire fighters. The Bible is filled with faith heroes whom God used to fulfill his plan of salvation.  But not all of these heroes were adults. David, a shepherd boy, defeated the giant Goliath, and Mary was a teenager who gave birth to our Savior.  God doesn’t put an age limit on being a faith hero. Kids of all ages are doing—and can do—mighty things for God’s kingdom.
 
Sometimes children have trouble thinking of people in the Bible as anything more than fictional. They may show more interest in celebrities or athletes and strive to be like them.  So it’s important to help children put themselves in biblical people’s shoes.  Together, explore their lives and times, consider their fears and emotions, and try to get inside their skin.  Ask children how they would feel and react in similar situations.  This is a great way for kids to apply the Bible to their lives—and to show them that as Christians, they themselves figure in the great history God is writing.

Hero Journal 
Help your children see how God is using them through a Hero Journal. 
1. List the talents and abilities God has given each child. Then write ways that kids can use their talents to honor God. Whenever you or kids notice that God is using them, jot down the date and what happened. At summer’s end, have a Hero Party (complete with hero sandwiches) and share journal excerpts.
2. Read All About It!—Be alert for stories of young heroes in your neighborhood and beyond. Share the accounts with your children to give them ideas about the incredible things they can accomplish.
3. Big-Screen Heroes—With older kids and preteens, watch movies that feature faith heroes; for example, Soul Surfer, about Bethany Hamilton, and Chariots of Fire, about Olympian Eric Liddell. Then discuss how the characters faced fears, made decisions, showed heroism, and trusted in God’s plans.