We don’t have to look very far from home to see the need for our faith to shine.
In our own backyard, there are many, many circumstances that give us an opportunity to share the love of Christ.
Our bold faith step today involves looking at the local news to find a subject matter that will not only resonate with our kids, but allow us to bring our faith out of the church and The Bible and into the immediate world around us.
When a local news story takes hold of a community, we inevitably want to talk about it at home. Maybe the TV accidentally gets frozen over a newscast showing pictures and text we’d rather they not hear or see. Instead of seeing this as a threat, let’s look at it as an opportunity to model.
Here are a few examples:
Are the poor being marginalized in your area in any way? Discuss the “least of these” that Jesus refers to in Matthew 25 with your kids.
Has a local hero been honored for bravery in the face of adversity? Discuss how God strengthens those who are righteous and they are “blessed”.
Has tragedy struck the innocent in a way that you can possibly help? Kids want to help naturally. When presented with an opportunity, they’ll take it. Compassion has to be cultivated. In order to make sense of what is going on in the world we have to know what’s going on in our back yard!
The local paper is a great place to start. It’s tangible. You can hold it in your hands. It’s also slow news. It’s the kind of news that you can censor, read at your own pace and share with your children something that is relevant to their lives.
Reading the story to them in language they can understand is great. If they are old enough, go “old school” and clip out the article and leave it on the dining room table. Then, at dinner that night, ask if they’ve seen it.
We have to learn to give our kids credit for having bigger hearts than we might have seen.
Here are a few questions to ask after sharing the news story:
How did you feel when you read it?
What can we do as a family which shows the love of Christ?
4 Comments
Very true indeed. In our own neighborhood, we can see real life as it is, and with life comes these lessons that we can incorporate with the teachings of the Bible. Letting them see life’s reality will really open their eyes and appreciate what goodness can do despite the differences in our statuses in life.
{Kathy} Hi Jennifer. Real life can be hard for some kids to grasp, while others may have had way, way too much of it. It’s so important we show kids how God is in everyone, all the time.
Great post! I am really liking this series, especially because I just started my own 15 day #BoldChristian campaign. I feel like your series fits so great with it! I’ve been trying to include my kids somewhat in my own challenge, and appreciate your tips and advice. God bless you and what you do.
{Kathy} Hey Katelyn! Thanks for visiting! I will check out your series. Your blog post attached got my attention. My nemesis in life is laundry.