“For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge”
-2 Peter 1:5 (ESV)
In this new year, we will embark on a journey of teaching our kids the biblical virtues (or godly characters). And friends, we invite you to join us!
Whether we have disagreements with other parents over discipline method, school choice, etc, ALL parents would agree it’s important to raise kids with great virtues: Kids with good characters and a strong moral foundation.
To name a few examples: diligence, perseverance, compassion, integrity, humility, … and the list goes on. One of the best collection of biblical virtues is found in Galatians 5:22-23 (a.k.a “the Fruit of the Spirit”):
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
Now, all of the godly characters above are good and helpful for our kids. Kids with these qualities will potentially thrive better in the society and become great leaders in the future. But as Christians, we are also called to become a light and point others to Jesus, and so are our kids. Without these godly virtues, we can’t fulfill our purpose on Earth: to know Him and make Him known.
Jesus Himself perfectly displayed all these qualities while walking on Earth. And as His children, acquiring these godly characters would ultimately point others to God and bring glory to Him.
“Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
-Matthew 5:16
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Yes, the long list of virtues can be overwhelming…”Me? Raising good kids with ALL these virtues? It’s impossible!”
Teaching virtues is a daunting task. And unfortunately, no parents are born with the superpower to transform their kids to have all the good characters instantly (although deep down, we would wish so).
Here are some important truths:
Truth #1: With man's sinful nature, we are NOT our own source of virtue. Having the opposite of these virtues is much easier.
Truth #2: We can’t teach our kids these virtues with our own power. In fact, we ourselves are still struggling to have these virtues!
Truth #3: We need the Holy Spirit to produce these virtues - “By His divine power, God has given us everything we need to live a godly life.…” (2 Peter 1:3-4)
The good news is we are here to partner with the Holy Spirit in teaching our kids these virtues. He will be our perfect guide who will enable and strengthen us through the toughest challenges. It’s definitely a job beyond our ability, and it’s never meant to be…because it’s God’s alone who can transform the hearts of our precious children.
For some practical tips, check out our Instagram posts on:
We invite you to comment below:
What are the top 3 virtues you would like your kids to have or work on this year?
What are some daily struggles with your kids?
Stay tuned for our next blog post as we will give you practical tips on teaching our kids the first godly character on our list: DILIGENCE.