5 Ways to Raise Kids Who Love Jesus
In case we’re new friends, let me introduce myself. I’m Ruth! I spend my days working as an author, artist, and founder of GraceLaced.com, but I’m also a mama to six boys (yes, six!), age 11 to 21. This fall, we dropped off our third mancub for his freshman year of college, and I’ve been reflecting on how we got here.
Typically, when people learn about the family side of my life, rapid-fire questions inevitably follow.
Did you just keep trying for a girl? No.
Did you have them all one at a time? Yes.
Do you own a TV? Sure do.
If they get to know the Simons mancubs, deeper questions emerge.
How did you get them to love each other so well?
What can I do to cultivate sibling relationships?
How did you disciple them toward loving Jesus?
Truth be told, I don’t have quick simple answers to any of these questions, but I know they are important questions to ask. How do we pass on the truth of God’s Word to the next generation, so they’re prepared for what’s ahead? How do you raise kids who love Jesus?
As my husband, Troy, and I have worked out our questions together with the Lord in real-time for the past two decades, there are a few principles we’ve found helpful.
Lead by example.
For better or for worse, your kids will be enamored with and intrigued by the things you are enamored with and intrigued by. Our kids need to see us consistently looking to Jesus because when we do, they can’t help but ask, “What is so pre-occupying, so mesmerizing, so wonderful that mom can’t stop thinking and talking about it?”
They’ll take their eyes off themselves, their immediate desires and disappointments, and crane their necks to get a better view of what captures your mind, your heart, and your longings. Truly, “more is caught than taught.”
When you look to Jesus, your kids will notice.
Connect your family’s story to the stories of Scripture.
There’s nothing more powerful than informing a child’s imagination with the truth of a story from the Bible! When you talk about decisions your family needs to make or as they get older and are making their own decisions, saying something like, “This is just like when David had to…” or, “I wonder if the disciples ever…” goes a long way in helping them apply the truth of God’s Word to their everyday lives.
Keep it simple.
Don’t stress out about creating the most ideal circumstances for family worship, a formal plan, or whether you make it through a whole book at any given point in time… keep it as simple as it needs to be for you to talk about walking with the Lord regularly, Maybe it’s over breakfast before you go your separate ways for the day. Maybe it’s a rhythm for conversation over dinner (or dessert!). Maybe it involves reading or listening to a short passage of Scripture together and simply answering the question: What do we learn about God from this passage?
Whatever you choose to do, be intentional! But keep it simple
Celebrate the gospel.
Regardless of the season you’re in, the challenges you’re facing, or the milestones or good news you’re celebrating, take a moment to call out the kindness of God in Jesus Christ as a family. Thank God for sending Jesus to rescue you from sin and make a way to be reconciled with Him—and with each other. This simple practice will help your children rehearse (and hopefully savor!) the gospel over and over.
Cultivate a sense of home based on relationships.
It’s easy to build a family identity based on what you do (sports, activities, church involvement) or where you live, but none of those things will last forever. When your family’s habits, schedules, dynamics, and perhaps even locations inevitably change, relationships are the stabilizing force.
The same is true about our relationship with God. When we face new seasons, new challenges, or unexpected turns it’s our relationship with Him that grounds us and provides stability. When we model “home” as a function of family relationships, it’s easier for our kids to understand the truth that ultimately home is found through a relationship with God.
This last point is so important to me, that I wrote my first children’s book, titled Home Is Right Where You Are, to help other families understand and rehearse the same truths. I, like you, want my kids to know that God is always with them! That he loves them, and that they are always at home, right where they are. Even in their dorm rooms and first apartments… maybe especially in their dorm rooms and first apartments!
Loving and leading our families toward loving Jesus is a long game. We are responsible for planting the seeds of His faithfulness, and by His grace, He will make them grow. So, don’t give up—keep pressing in!
Consider a few extra resources:
