Who am I? And “Why am I here? Two questions that all of us are longing to answer. Two questions that social media and culture are loudly trying to answer for us. Two questions that only God can truly answer for us.
As parents we need to help our child answer these two foundational questions about life. But where do we begin? I say we begin with some truths. Here are 6 truths we feel are vital for every child (and adult) to know and believe.
#1- I am made in the image of God!
Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” What a beautiful picture. We are all made in the image of God. God picked which aspect of Him He wanted to display in each and every one of us. We are all individually unique but all made to display a different part of God. God made no mistake when He made you. (See Psalm 139) It is our job as parents to help our children to see, understand and appreciate their uniqueness.
#2- I am unconditionally loved!
Romans 8:38-39 says, “I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow- not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below- indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Did you catch the key word, nothing? Do you believe that God loves you 100%? There is nothing that you can do to earn His love. There is nothing you can do to lose His love. His love for you is at the max and that is where it will always stay. Why? His love is based on the simple fact that you are His child and His love will remain no matter what! (See Ephesians 1:3-14 and 3:14-21) It is our job as parents to help our children believe in God’s unconditional love by modeling unconditional love to them.
#3- I am never alone!
Hebrews 13:5 says, “For God has said, ‘I will NEVER fail you. I will NEVER abandon you.’” There are so many promises in the Bible. All of them are true. Some were given to a few people or maybe to a specific people group. But this promise was repeated over and over again, from Genesis to Revelation. God wants to do life with us. He wants to walk with us every step of the way and He gave us Holy Spirit so that He could do just that. (See John 14) It is our job as parents to help our children know and believe they are never alone even when they feel alone.
#4- I am created for a purpose!
Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” We were all created by God on purpose for a purpose. Each one of us has a unique purpose that only you can fulfill. One is not better than the other but both are needed. (See Jeremiah 29:11-14) It is our job as parents to help our children figure out their specific purpose and how to walk towards it.
#5- Only God has the right and the power to name you!
1 John 3:1 says, “See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children ,and that is what we are!” Society is trying its hardest to teach our children what to think and feel about themselves. It is important that our children know that because God made them, He is the only one who has the right to tell them who they are. It is important that when words are spoken over our children they learn how to check those comments with God. Any label or name needs to be run through Scripture to see if it is true. If it is, great. If it is not, we need to teach our children to throw those labels away. Words matter. Words spoken are seeds planted that will eventually turn into a mindset. (See Esther Fleece Allen’s book Your New Name -this is full of scripture references of who you are in Christ!) It is our job as parents to help our children know their true identity in Christ!
#6- I am created for relationship!
John 15:5 says, “Yes, I (Jesus) am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” This truth is true on so many levels. God created us to be in an intimate relationship with Him. He desires to be a part of every aspect of our life. God gave us Holy Spirit so that He could be with us 24/7. He also created us to be in a family. Parents were created to love, teach, discipline and lead their children to God and into adulthood. We were also created to do life in community. Life is so much more enjoyable and successful when we are in community with like-minded friends and family. (See John 15:1-17 and Mark 12:29-31) It is our job as parents to help our children grow in their relationship with the Lord and choose their friends wisely.
Who am I? Why am I here? Do you know the answer to those questions? Which truth do you need to dive deeper into today? How can you take these truths and make them known to your children?
