How To Make God Real In Your Home

I visit a variety of online sites where teens and young adults discuss why they’ve walked away from the faith they were raised in. They often talk about the disillusionment of religion, the hypocrisy of Christians and how boring and monotonous worship services are.

Their focus tends to be on the failure of the church, but it’s glaringly apparent that their parents never made God real or His Word tangible while they were growing up. The whole point of this ministry at The Greatest Mission Trip You’ll Ever Take is to encourage Christian parents to take on their God-ordained role. Teaching our children about Christianity isn’t about obligation or doctrine, it’s about a love relationship between them and their Savior. God’s Word can be made real in our homes.

Want to make the truth of God’s salvation plan stick in a memorable way?

Our church’s youth group just got back from participating in a day camp in Nebraska, where on the final day they played a really fun game with the kids. Our youth pastor (we call him PJ) was Chief of a remote island and the kids were told they had to earn stripes (painted on their face) to enter the island. They went through obstacle courses and various activities, earning one stripe for each completed event. Upon earning their last stripe all the kids assembled before the Chief, ready to gain entrance onto the remote island.

There was only one problem. The Chief wouldn’t let them on. The children were dumbfounded. They just went through all that work, doing everything they were told, and they can’t get on the island?

Nope. PJ pointed to a young man, his son Cameron, sitting close by. Cameron had white stripes painted on his face. PJ told the children the only way onto the island was through Cameron. How that was to happen, they had to figure out. The kids were then left to their own devices.

The children conferred with each other. Solutions to the problem were bandied about. Finally, one child walked up to Cameron and simply asked if he would let him on the island. Cameron gave the child a white stripe and ushered him onto the island. Then another approached, asked, received his white stripe, and joined his camp mate. Then another. Then several. At one point everybody ‘got it’ and crowded around to receive the white stripe that only Cameron could give them. PJ, the Chief, welcomed each child with open arms.

The connection as to their relationship with the Savior was made in a tangible way. After PJ briefly discussed it with the children, it was solidified.

You can do the same in your home. I read somewhere (pretty sure it was a Focus on the Family publication) where a father taught his children the same concept. While standing at the bottom of a set of stairs he told his kids that they had to make their way to the top where a prize awaited them. However, the children weren't allowed to use the stairs or the handrail to get up. They tried several different ways, but everything they did resulted in failure. There was no way they could get up the stairs on their own.

Finally, one son hit upon the solution. They couldn’t get up the stairs, but their father could carry them up, one at a time. That father made three trips, one with each child, and then discussed the reality of God’s salvation plan in a way that made God’s Word come alive.

God is real. His truths are real. The relationship our children can have with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ, can be made tangible and exciting and genuine. Make that a goal for teaching your children.

What ideas do you have for creatively teaching your child about God? Leave a comment.