As parents who love Jesus, it’s crucial for us to be grounded in our identity—who we are in Him. Our identity, our purpose, our very being comes from God. And that’s how it should be.
But the question is: Do our kids see us live that out loud?
Last year, a mom experienced a deep conviction about this very thing. She would often read her Bible on her phone, not thinking much about it—until one day her daughter called her out.
“Mom, why are you always on your phone?” her daughter asked.
Taken aback, the mom replied, “Whoa, I’m on my phone, but I’m actually reading my Bible!”
Her daughter, still not convinced, responded, “But I don’t know that you’re reading your Bible. It just looks like you’re playing on your phone and not playing with me.”
It was a simple comment, but it cut deep. She proceeded to show her daughter the Bible app she was using and explained that she also used her phone for scheduling appointments, grocery shopping, work, and many other things.
But as she was explaining it, conviction hit her hard. She realized that, in the midst of a busy day, she needed to spend 1-on-1 time with her daughter. What really struck her, though, was that her daughter wasn’t wrong. All her kids saw was the little square device in her hands.
After that conversation, she decided to make a change. She stopped using her phone to read the Bible and instead kept her beautiful leather-bound Bible on the couch to grab every day.
Sometimes as parents, we can get too quiet about our faith. We know what we believe, but do we share it with our kids? We might read our Bibles, but maybe we do it before they wake up, or they never see us engaging in prayer or worship. None of these things are wrong—on the contrary, they’re exactly what we should be doing.
But here’s the challenge: Bring your kids along for the ride. Have your quiet time out loud.
Read your Bible in front of them. Worship in the living room with your hands raised. Pray out loud while folding laundry. Repent in front of them. Don’t just tell your kids about these biblical disciplines—show them. Invite them into it. Let them see the example of a real-life faith that’s practiced in everyday moments.
By doing so, they will begin to mimic what they see. They won’t just learn about God’s Word from what we say—they’ll experience it through what we do.
