By: Crystal Mazzuca
When Kids Don’t Think They’re Sinners
“I’m a good kid. I don’t really feel like I’m a sinner.”
Have you ever had kids in your ministry say this to you? Whether they say this out loud or not, it can be a thought in a lot of kids’ minds.
Kids who listen to their parents.
Kids who get good grades in school.
Kids who come to church every week, ready and excited to learn.
This performance-based concept of goodness can make it difficult for some kids to think of themselves as sinners in need of salvation. So how can we help them see their need for forgiveness?
Start With Brokenness
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
When it comes to sin, there is no avoiding it. God is perfect—people are not. When kids are struggling with the idea of being sinners, start by sharing that we are all sinners. Talk about the truth that God is always perfect and never makes wrong choices. But people are never perfect, and all of us make wrong choices and sin. Sin is choosing to do what we think is best rather than following what God says is best. That sin separates us from God because He is perfect and holy. It doesn’t matter how “good” we think we are—we can never be good enough to fix what is broken in our relationship with God.
Make It Personal
Kids can struggle with the weight of their sinfulness because they compare themselves with others. They may be willing to admit they aren’t perfect, but they feel like they aren’t “that bad.” We get to help kids understand that when it comes to how God views sin, He doesn’t make comparisons like we do. Big sins, little sins, and every sin in-between separates us from God.
We can view sin like looking at a skyline. There are tall buildings and short buildings, like how we might think there are sins that are worse or bigger than other sins. While certainly the consequences of some sins are more severe and cause more damage and destruction than others, viewing sin as “big” and “small” is an incomplete view.
God’s view is more like a drone flying over a city, looking down at the buildings. From that viewpoint, the tops of the buildings are very similar squares and rectangles. When God looks at sin, that’s what He sees—sin. All sin equally separates us from a relationship with God.
Even when kids feel like their sin isn’t that bad, we can help them know that all sin separates us from God and all sin needs to be forgiven.
Celebrate Grace
Kids can struggle with seeing their own sinfulness. This struggle can be rooted in fear of punishment and judgement or worry about disappointing God or people. But the beauty of our brokenness is found in the goodness of God’s grace. Our need for forgiveness puts God’s love, mercy, and grace on display.
Admitting that we are sinners shows the world that God loves us so much that He stepped in when we needed Him most and made the ultimate sacrifice by sending Jesus. While sin is a bad thing, admitting our sin is a good thing because we get to turn to God and have an amazing, incredible relationship with Him.
Jesus took the punishment for our sin. When kids believe that truth, that can know they don’t have to be worried or afraid to admit their sin. The price has already been paid. Recognizing that we are sinners also means recognizing that God is kind, loving, and that He would do everything possible to fix our brokenness.
These struggling kids don’t need leaders who point out their faults or try to guilt them into seeing their sinfulness. Rather, kids need leaders who themselves recognize and appreciate the love and grace of God that we experience in forgiveness. When we share with kids from that position, it can help them start to understand who they are, what they need, and how much God loves them.
Crystal Mazzuca is the Content Editor and Resource Specialist for Lifeway’s NextGen resource Hyfi. With an MA in Christian Education Administration, she has a passion to encourage and equip leaders to impact the next generation for Christ. She’s spent the last 20 years in Kids, Student, and Family Ministry and loves serving both the big C church and her local church in Olympia, WA. Crystal loves reading, going to the beach, and playing video games with her 3 sons.
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