What we are teaching our daughter about being a woman of faith

The most important gift I can bestow upon any of my children is not found in any store. The most important gift I can give is teaching them about Jesus—Who He is, and who they are in Him. For our daughter, especially, that means intentionally teaching her the truths that are found in God's Holy Word.

While the world will tell her she's not pretty enough, or smart enough—we are teaching our daughter that she is "fearfully and wonderfully made," [Psalm 139:14 NIV] and that God has made everything beautiful in its time [Ecclesiastes 3:11].

We teach her that Jesus so loved her that He died for her and rose again three days later so that she may live in Him.

We pray with her, leading her in prayer to teach her that prayer is communicating with her Lord Jesus. We help her find Scripture passages as she sits with us during church, and stress the importance of reading and studying the Word for herself. Just as she enjoys spending time with her friends, Jesus enjoys spending time with her. We share with her the importance of a personal relationship with the Lord: one that is reverent, built on faith and love for Him.

We teach her to be thankful.

We are teaching her to be modest in clothing and talk and how she sits. We teach her that there is room yet in this world for being a lady of character and renown. We are teaching our daughter to be a woman of faith in Jesus Christ, and that means being sure of who she is in Him: a Child of God, a Daughter of the Most High King.

Royalty.

We are teaching her that one day, she will meet the man that God has chosen for her, and they will complement each other in word and deed. We are teaching her, through example, that a wife is to respect her husband and a husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the Church [Ephesians 5]. We are teaching her that Christ comes first, then her husband, next—her children, then home, and work. We are teaching her that women can work outside and inside the home, and most usually, both.

We are teaching our daughter the truths found in 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12. "Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody."

The world with its evil desires will come after her, but she will have a strong foundation on which to build a strong and mighty fortress of faith and love for Jesus, serving all in His name. Already we see the fruits of these things as her little hands clasp in prayer and as she shares Jesus with the children in her second grade class.

It is our job as Christian parents to protect and love our children, to guide them to a relationship with Jesus, to lead them to Him. Christ tells us to go into all the world, sharing the Gospel and teaching about Him—shouldn't that start within our own homes, with our own children? For if we don't teach them about God, the world will teach them about satan. We cannot leave it up to the children to learn these important things on their own.

In Christ,
Terrie

(c) 2018 Terrie McKee

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