“My dad is a preacher,” says Dylan, 7.
Say no more, Dylan. We understand.
Another Dylan, 6, says he remembers to live for God by a simple formula: “Love people, listen to God, don’t push and don’t talk back.”
Whether you’re 6 or 60, this sounds like pretty good advice.
“I do a devotion every night for the whole year,” says Adam, 9. Adam notes that he has a book of devotional readings for each day of the year.
Doing daily devotionals is a spiritual habit that transforms Christian lives. We must have a plan to fight against the mind-numbing noise and frantic pace of this world. Setting aside regular time to spend with God can give one the big-picture overview of one’s day.
“Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2).
The view from an airplane at 10,000 feet is a lot different than the view on the ground. To be effective on the ground, you must have the view from above. If you doubt this, ask any soldier who has been in combat.
“My mom and dad talk about God a lot,” says Kristy, 5. Young children are sponges. They listen and absorb everything. Moms and dads who talk about God will have children who talk about God. Social researcher George Barna reports that an adult’s worldview is formed during childhood years with few changes in the teen/adult years.
“I ask my parents to take me to church every week,” says Thomas, 10. “I love church. It is so much fun!”
In a lot of people’s minds, “fun and church” don’t go together, but they should. Living for God is not a solo activity. God designed Christians to be part of the body of Christ. Like a healthy physical body, the spiritual body of Christ is designed for many members to work together.
When Jesus returns to Earth to establish his kingdom, it will be a community of love and harmony. Ideally, a New Testament church should be a little bit of heaven on Earth. When Christians focus on the Lord Jesus Christ, there’s a fragrance of love, peace and oneness that people living in a chaotic world notice.
Of the early Christians in Jerusalem, it was written, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42). Please note that I removed the comma after the word “fellowship” that is in the New King James Version translation. In the New Testament Greek of this verse, there is no conjunction of any kind between “fellowship” and the “breaking of bread,” yet most translations separate the two. It’s “fellowship in the breaking of bread,” not “fellowship and the breaking of bread.”
Why is this important? In most churches, the Lord’s Supper has been reduced to tiny crackers and a shot of grape juice. Fellowship is something relegated to mingling in between church services. The early Christians celebrated the Lord’s Supper every Sunday as a fellowship meal that served as the main reason why they gathered (Acts 20:7). Every church historian of any notoriety attests to this early practice of first-century Christians.
Think about this: It takes a lot of spiritual momentum to break free from the gravitational pull of this world’s chaos, discord and greed. Daily devotionals, godly relatives and spirit-filled Christians at church can help you live for God.
Memorize this truth: Colossians 3:2 quoted above.
Ask this question: Are you living for God today?
Kids Talk About God is designed for families to study the Bible together. Research shows that parents who study the Bible with their children give their character, faith and spiritual life a powerful boost. To receive Kids Talk About God three times a week in a free, email subscription, visit www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org/email.
