Do you have a child who is dealing with intense fear or anxiety?
Or maybe a child who is feeling lonely and isolated?
How do we step in as believers to help our kids overcome really real and big emotions?
What do we do?
The most practical way to do this is by teaching them how Jesus is near to us.
Jesus is with us always. This might be hard for a little kid, because Jesus is not in an actual physical body, but his presence is always there. We can teach our kids what his presence feels like. It feels like peace, hope, and safety.
Just as our kids desire our presence when they are afraid, we can teach them to desire Jesus when they are feeling big things. The best way to do this is by telling them to pray to him when the emotion feels overwhelming. Have them pray out loud to ask for the peace of God to come in their heart. When they are feeling afraid, have them pray out loud to ask God to make them brave.
By teaching them to go to Jesus when they are young, they will continue to draw near to him when they grow up. This is the best thing we can do as parents is teach our kids how to go to Jesus.
