Growing Faith in Your Kids at Christmas

Guest Post by Tim Elmore

Do you talk to your family about faith? Sometimes, it’s easy for the subject of “faith” to be confined to church related activities, and excluded from our day-to-day lives. In reality, God desires for faith to be woven throughout everything we do — our work, our home, our schools, our business, and our neighborhoods. During the holidays, I want to challenge you to incorporate faith into your family activities and conversations.

Here is one way to grow a little faith and to throw a little faith into your everyday lives.

Try this.

Pick a week, and read together as a family. Choose a biography of a great Christian leader in history — someone like J. Hudson Taylor, Brother Andrew, David Livingston, Amy Carmichael or Mother Teresa. Pick a story that illustrates great faith. You may even want to read the biography of Saint Nicholas, the original man who decided to leave gifts for children at their front door. He has an incredible story that can tie the Christmas festivities into the subject of faith. (I know it may feel a little cheesy at first, but choose a biography appropriate for the Christmas season, and read it together for 30 minutes a night.) Then, talk about it together. What was it about this person’s life that enabled them to believe God for such amazing miracles? How might that look in your lives today?

If you prefer, read the Christmas story out of The Message translation. (Luke 2:1-20)

Next, choose a need you would normally pray about this season, and double your prayer request. If you would normally pray for God to bless an underprivileged family you know, ask God to do twice what you would normally expect Him to do. Trust God for greater answers to prayer, and see how your faith is stretched.

Then — participate in the answer to that prayer. (Maybe you could take a turkey and all the fixings over to that family, and anonymously leave it on their doorstep). Reading and then participating in an exercise that emulates faith stories you’ve read almost always increases our faith.

“Faith comes by hearing — hearing the Word of God.” (Romans 10:17)

Join us tomorrow at Jon Gordon’s blog as we discuss ways to develop a positive attitude in your kids (and maybe yourself!) during the holidays.