Respect. It’s a virtue that may be on the endangered list, but I know many parents who are trying valiantly to rescue it from extinction. Maybe you teach your kids to say “sir” or “ma’am” when referring to adults or to use “Mr.” or “Mrs.” You may remind them to take their baseball hat off during the National Anthem, to write “thank you” notes or to always use the word “please” before a request.
There are many ways we can show respect to others, but how do we show respect to God? It can be a little tricky to do this in a way that kids can comprehend, but it can be done. Sometimes, it’s all in our approach. It’s important for our kids to see how we approach God in prayer – acknowledging that he loves us and he deserves our respect. When we pray, we’re talking to the Creator of the Universe!
Being aware of how we approach God is one good way to teach kids the idea of respecting God for who He is, but an even better way is to value what God values.
Jesus says the greatest two commandments are to love God with all your heart, strength and mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself.
So the question is, Are we doing that? When we see that someone needs help, are we helping them in the name of God? Jesus says, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,[a] you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:40). If we see something that we can do to make the world a better place, to help others, to help our neighbor, we can cast that for our kids in the framework of “this is what is on God’s heart.”
When we value what God values, our kids see God through us. Not only do we show love and respect to God, we show God to our kids – and there’s nothing more important than that.
Clive & Ian’s Wonder-Blimp of Knowledge is a 16-week curriculum designed for elementary-school-aged kids who have BIG questions about God like How old is God? Can I trust God? How do I show respect to God?
The flexible, 60-minute Bible-based lessons reveal key truths that God teaches us about himself, his world, and his relationship with us. Kids will learn through fun videos from Buck Denver Asks®… What’s in the Bible? and VeggieTales® creator Phil Vischer and a variety of activities designed for all types of learners to engage kids with their minds, hearts, creativity, and more!
Learn more about the Wonder-Blimp Curriculum including an in-depth scope and sequence.
