How do I Graduate from Imitating Faith?

What are we dealing with when it comes to Imitating Faith? As we witnessed in the example of Simon the Sorcerer, it is possible for an adult to have a very immature level of faith, but for the most part Imitating Faith belongs to the children. Most everyone reading this book will not be at the Imitating Faith level, but your children might be or other children you know. So, let's take a chapter to look at how to assist a child during this stage of faith.

Children learn by watching and imitating. If your child's faith is essentially the replication of what he/she sees and hears, you as an adult should give careful attention to the Christianity you are modeling and proclaiming in their hearing. As a parent, you have the immense responsibility of guiding your son or daughter along their own faith journey. You are in a greater position than anyone to influence your child to dedicate their life to Christ.

That is both thrilling and humbling at the same time. Hopefully you want to do the best you can as a parent, teacher or whatever capacity you may find yourself in when working with children.

During the stage of Imitating Faith, here are four ways you can help a young one get off to a good start in their relationship with Jesus.

1. WATCH FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO TEACH THEM MORAL VALUES.

Parenting is about instilling strong Christian values in our children rather than merely controlling their personal conduct. You can manipulate behavior with enough discipline, but until children understand the moral reason for better behavior, they will behave only long enough to avoid punishment. Do not just teach them what is right and wrong; teach them WHY it is right or wrong.

Teach little ones the fundamentals of Christianity so that they are participants in the worship service instead of spectators. Children are naturally curious. When they want to know about the Lord's Supper tell them what it means and why we partake of this memorial. Talk to them about when they will be mature enough to take the emblems along with the rest of the congregation.

Practice "church" at home. Get one of the crackers and some grape juice and let them taste it. Don't tell them, "You can't take this till you get baptized." If you do, they'll want to get baptized just so they can take the Lord's Supper and that is not a good reason to get baptized. Do as much as you can to help them understand what we are doing and why.

Teach them the hymns and encourage them to sing along in worship. Give them a warm smile when you see them singing with the church. Explain the offering and allow them to put an amount of money in the plate, preferably a portion of what they have earned themselves.

Teach them to pray, to talk to God in their own words, to bow their heads and join in the public prayers. Teach them to listen to the sermons and Bible classes and talk to them about what they learned from each message. Look for opportunities to teach them about the fundamentals of the Christian faith.

Long ago, we were having breakfast one morning with our 10-year-old son. He was telling us the latest rumors about who liked who at school. He had been asked to pass notes back and forth for those too shy to talk face to face. In answer to his questions, we were able to talk with him about the problems we knew about when kids started dating at too early of an age. We talked about gossip and how listening was as wrong as repeating derogatory things about others. We read some Proverbs that talk about gossip and discussed them together, keeping it positive the whole time. We were not reprimanding him for anything. He didn't do anything wrong.

We commended him for wanting to help others but also talked about the risk of being the middle person in any relationship and helped him to see how it is best to let people deliver their own messages. Over breakfast an opportunity arose to teach our son godly life skills. We shared with him what the Bible teaches about these and other topics and tried to nurture his faith and encouraged him to talk to us about any other questions he might have. Teachable moments like that are so precious. Be prepared to make the most of the time you have with a child when teachable moments pop up.

2. FOCUS ON LEARNING RATHER THAN TEACHING.

The education of your child does not depend so much on how well you are teaching them It depends on how well they are learning. Communication is not what you say but what they hear. Since we are talking about communicating FAITH to a child, the most important attribute they will ever acquire, this should be done with the utmost care. Study your child's learning strengths and tailor your education methods to fit your child. Learn which ways help your child to learn better.

Some learn better by hearing. Some do better if they see or experience a message. Share your findings with your child's Bible class teachers and ask them if they would help your child to get more out of each lesson by implementing these techniques. Communicate to your child that Jesus means everything to you. If you are sincere, they will get the message.

3. NURTURE YOUR CHILD'S NATURAL HUNGER FOR LEARNING GOD'S WORD.

Every child grows up with a curiosity about where they came from and why they are here. Ecclesiastes 3:11 explains that God has placed eternity in the heart of each individual.

He has made everything appropriate in its time.
He has also set eternity in their heart.

We are born knowing there is more to life than just this world. If you place the truth about God through His Word before your child, they will feast on its wisdom. They will devour it with a desire for more.

Never before have so many tools been available for parents and teachers to teach children the Bible. Read the Bible together with your children. Watch movies based on the Bible and discuss them with each other. Find a good dramatized recorded version of the Bible and listen to it for family night once a week or more often if you can. Give your child the gift of a knowledge of God's Word. When they know the Word for themselves their faith has the most essential tool it needs for growth.

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

- Romans 10:17

4. MAKE WORSHIP SERVICES AS ENJOYABLE AS POSSIBLE.

How many people do you know who don't want to go to church because when they were young their parents "made them go"? What they mean is that church was a drudgery. Church meant fussing around Sunday morning trying to get ready. It was a hassle getting there and they couldn't wait to leave when it was over. It was a place where they had to sit still on hard pews with their eyes facing forward all the time; dull and uneventful. Does church really have to be that way for children?

“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.

- Matthew 22:2

Jesus is not talking about heaven here. He is describing the kingdom of people who are going to heaven. He is describing the kingdom, which is made up of everyone who is subject to the king. That's us, Christians. And when Christians get together to worship the King it should be a joyful occasion like a great wedding feast. Christianity should be enjoyed, not endured. Is your child getting that message or are they getting another message entirely?

Teach your children to participate in the singing and prayer. Doing so will lend meaning and purpose to what they are doing. Let them know that church is for them too. You do not want your child to be unruly and distracting to others but allow them some leeway whenever possible to change positions and look around moderately at what others are doing. Find ways to make the church service a positive experience for your child and nurture their desire to know God for themselves.

Think of it this way. Your child has Imitating Faith. They are going to imitate you whether you want them to or not. The best way for them to learn Christianity is if they see it modeled in you. Teaching our children about God is one of the most important jobs we have in the Lord's church. These young souls are so precious. If we want them to carry on the Lord's work after we are gone, we must show them that Christianity is a gift they can treasure for a lifetime.