By: Sam Poore
Recently, I have been convicted about how often I truly talk about Christ with the children in my life. How often do I remind my nieces and nephews about the goodness of Christ? Is it only while we are at church or praying before dinner? Is it only during Easter or Christmas? Am I forgetting to incorporate the most important information into everyday conversation with my kids?
Christ should be at the center of our lives at all times. Now, that doesn’t mean kids have to spend every moment reading Bible stories or memorizing verses. Kids can still pretend to be a superhero or read about a hungry caterpillar. But instead of leaving it at that, use those activities to teach your children about Christ. Remind them that Jesus is better than a superhero because He did what no one else could; He saved us from our sins and offers us a restored relationship with God. Remind them that just like that caterpillar is never satisfied, we can never truly be satisfied apart from Jesus.
This idea was at the forefront of my mind as I was hanging flags and baking red, white, and blue colored desserts for our Fourth of July party. How could I take this patriotic holiday and use it to point my kids to Christ? How do I make Jesus the center of every celebration? I began brainstorming how I could incorporate Jesus into the United States’ Independence Day and many other holidays that He is often left out of.
Independence Day
Independence Day commemorates the ratification of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776. It is a time when we celebrate the freedoms we experience in America; however, these freedoms are nothing compared to the freedom we have in Christ. He sets us free from sin and death. Jesus gives us the only true type of freedom.
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a day to honor and mourn the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Similar to the members of the military who died to protect our earthly life, Jesus died and rose again to secure our eternal life. Unlike military heroes, however, Jesus did what only He could do; He lived a perfectly sinless life and made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that we can spend eternity with Him.
Incorporating Jesus into these holidays doesn’t mean you can’t swim, shoot off fireworks, or eat American flag themed desserts. You don’t have to start the day with a family Bible study or pull the kids away from playing to have a conversation about Christ. Instead, you can use the holiday activities to remind your kid about Jesus. Begin by asking them why we are celebrating and allow the conversation to flow naturally toward Christ. This can happen in the pool or after watching the fireworks. If it feels forced at first, that is okay! Just like anything, practice makes perfect. The more you incorporate Christ into daily conversation with your kids, the less forced it will feel.
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