Recently, we shared five ways parents can help kids grow in their faith. We hope they feel light and easy (you might be surprised by some of them!).
While we love all five, one deserves a follow-up here, and that's number two: model what following Jesus looks like.
Of course, the only way to sustainably model following Jesus for our kids is to... actually follow Jesus :) You can't fake this, friends! Kids are excellent lie detectors, and they'll sniff out lip service faster than you can recite The Lord's Prayer.
Good news: following Jesus (imperfectly, but faithfully) is quite possible, even in the chaotic era of raising young kids. We know you're tired. You might feel overwhelmed, or anxious, or lost, or frustrated, too. And He knows it:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
That's Jesus speaking in Matthew 11, verses 28-30. The five ways we're outlining below are not exhaustive, and they won't exhaust you—hopefully they'll feel like Jesus's light and easy yoke, even if they do require some changes, or some rewiring, at the start. We just need to take Him up on His offer of His easy yoke. Here are five ways we've done that, that you might also find helpful.
Weed out your input
Before you add anything, consider taking something away. How much of your day is spent in silence? (Probably very little, if you have little kids!) Music, a show, or their chatter likely fills much of the hours they're awake, and the corners when they're asleep or otherwise occupied are often filled with our own choice of music, podcasts, or a stream of social media or news updates.
Though it's understandable to want connection with other adults in the midst of long days at home, even if virtual, it's hard to layer in any of the good stuff if our days are already stuffed full. (And that "stuffing" can really add to our sense of anxiety, helplessness, sadness, and fear.) Instead, consider slowing the input into your days by choosing silence at some times you'd otherwise turn on music, listening to the Bible instead of a podcast, or turning to a book instead of social media.
Read the Bible
With a little more margin in your day and your mind, could you add in hearing from God through His Word? If we want to grow in our faith, the very best way to do that is through learning more about God, and so coming to know and love Him more. Over time, this will transform every part of our lives—with the natural overflow that we'll model for our kids what it looks like to follow Jesus.
Don't hesitate to get creative in this season with little kids. "Quiet time" doesn't have to be quiet, and it doesn't have to look like an idealized version in your head. It doesn't even require hot coffee ;) I've found a lot of success this year listening to my Bible reading plan while in the shower at night. (Many Cultivators love the Dwell app for listening to the Bible; I've done just fine with the free Bible app.)
For an easy, simple way to get into the Word each day, we're particularly fond of our our Write the Word® journals. Designed by a mama of little ones, they'll connect you right to God and His Word in a meaningful way. Best of all, you can do yours alongside your kids! Don't miss our newest volume, Write the Word | Motherhood.
Begin and end the day with prayer.
If our ultimate goal is to pray without ceasing, moving through our days in conversation with the Father, then a good place to start is by beginning and ending our days with prayer.
Inspired by Justin Whitmel Early's prodding in The Common Rule and Habits of the Household, I've been starting my days on my knees in prayer for about a year. It's the first thing I do—I literally slide out of bed and land on my knees, ha! The prayer isn't lengthy (usually, I thank God for a new day to do His work with integrity and to love the people around around me with His love), but it sets me in the right direction: once the conversation has been opened, it's easier to pick it back up throughout the day.
My bookended prayer in the evening is done while lying in bed, the last thing I do before drifting off to sleep. I prayer over my day, for my husband, for my kids, and anything else that comes to mind.
If we want to grow in our faith as moms of young kids, prayer is a free (priceless! ;)), always-accessible, and powerful way to do so.
Spend time with other believers.
Whether you go to work or stay home, parenting young kids can feel lonely. Push back against this by stubbornly and consistently spending time with other Christians.
We weren't meant to do life alone! Depending on your circumstances, this might look like meeting up at a park, inviting people into your home (and getting comfortable with them seeing the mess of normal life!), attending church each week, pushing a stroller alongside another mom, or meeting up to grocery shop or go to a class at the gym together.
You don't have to be discussing the Bible for your time together to be life-giving (though, of course, that's great if you do!). Simply spending time with like-minded friends who are trying to orient their lives in the same way as you will be encouraging enough.
Keep a schedule with margin.
We're going to end this post the exact same way we ended the first one. There are so many more ways we can grow our faith as moms of young kids: we can serve! We can fast! We can attend a Bible study! But perhaps the most important way is this: we can keep a schedule that actually allows time and space to be discipled.
To go to church.
To follow the spiritual disciplines ourselves.
To invite friends over for dinner.
To ask and answer questions.
The best intentions and the most potent tools can still be bulldozed by a work, homework, or extracurricular schedule that leaves no time for the good stuff of life and the core practices of the faith. Margin—rest, solitude, silence, space—that's where our faith blossoms. If there's just one "way" you consider adopting, let it be this one.
Your turn! How have you tended to your faith in a season with young kids in the home? We'd love to hear!
Emily Thomas
