7 Ways Children Teach Us About God

Written by Dustin on November 17, 2009 - 1 Comment
Children, Spirituality

Kids Teach Us About God

If you are a parent, a Godparent or just the cool aunt, you know both the joy and challenges that children bring to life. If you believe in God, you probably also feel a responsibility to help raise these kids in a healthy way that teaches them about your faith.

This is fantastic, but have you taken a step back to consider what these same children teach us about God everyday?

Give it Some Thought

Really, you don’t have to be a deep thinker or get all dogmatic about it. Just make a small effort to “zone in” and observe how you interact with the children in your life. I took this opportunity myself, and I was amazed at all I learned about myself and my relationship with the “Big Guy” upstairs.

I do not intend to share an exhaustive list here. Instead, I want to get your mind started in the right direction so you can better appreciate the very cool way that God communicates to us through the simplest relationships in our lives.

While this exercise will surely be effective for the parents among us, I really think anyone can see this truth, even if you just reflect upon your own childhood and the joys and tribulations you provided to your poor grateful parents.

7 Ways Children Teach Us About God

1. God feels the same about us as we feel about our children.

2. God is crazy about us and wants the best for us, even when it is not obvious.

3. God wants us to share and be kind to those we encounter.

4. God gives us free will & allows us to fail, but He hopes we learn our own way.

5. God’s love never ceases.

6. God is forgiving beyond our understanding.

7. God strives to give us the best possible direction, but we must choose to follow it.

When compiling this short list, I was tempted to write out some kind of comprehensive explanation behind each point. However, I really think the beauty of this exercise is its simplicity. Plus, each of us has our own unique experiences, both with God and with children, that we may contemplate for each idea.

Practice What God Preaches Through Children

So, next time you are enjoying a special moment of closeness with a little child, or (gasp) even a teenager, consider the source of your joy and just how cool it is to love and be loved.

Likewise, when you are at your wits end and ready to snap at the immaturity shown by your kid, take a step back and put your “God hat” on for a moment. When you realize all of the ways that you act childish and fall short of what God wants for you, I suspect you’ll humble up a bit and see the value of patience and forgiveness.

I know we can expand this list with some thought-provoking, instructional and hopefully even funny ideas.

What has a Child Taught YOU about God?

Photo by ☂CharlotteSpeaks

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