Each of us needs relationship; God designed us that way.
Think of your children’s connections and the categories of those relationships: family, school, sports, church, clubs, neighbors. Your children may even have online connections through video games or social media. Each category of relationship has particular effects with different aspects to it.
It is important to reflect on those through an eternal lens. Identify which relationships you want your children to foster and which will nurture their relationship with the Lord. In an age where extra-curricular activities take so much time away from family, some difficult choices may need to be made to provide the best environment for your children’s spiritual growth. Relationships take time to nurture, so consider which ones are worth the investment.
As parents wanting to disciple your children’s hearts, the influence and value of the relationships are necessary to consider.
Which category of relationships has the most impact on your children?
Which will positively impact their growing relationship with God?
As a teacher, I valued the relationship building I could have with my students when I taught public school math. My husband and I, however, wanted me to invest in our own children when we started a family. Then, I was grateful the Lord called us to homeschool.
As I recently reflected on my twenty years of homeschooling, it was clear that relationship building was the foundation of our schooling. That encompassed:
- Relationship with God – learning about his world (academics) and faith in him
- Relationship with family – learning to love and support each other
- Relationship with others – learning to bless and serve others in Jesus’ name.
Academics and learning through experience were important in our homeschool, but so was training our children’s hearts to love, serve, and obey God. My heart was trained alongside theirs – homeschooling provides so much opportunity for spiritual growth! Growing in the Lord through Bible reading, praying for each other, and applying verses we memorized, created a foundation for building their personal faith in Christ.
As your children develop their most important relationship, may God guide you with discernment. May he bless them through you as you help them nurture it.