10 Values to Teach Our Children
By Mirley Guerra Graf
Hi Friend!
What is the foundation for your values? Where do values come from? Our values do not come out of thin air. In fact, different societies around the world have different values. The truth is that our values are based in either religion, politics, ideology, or whatever is currently trending. As Christians, our values should be grounded in the truth of God’s.
Values not based on Biblical truth are wishy-washy and values based on cultural norms change over time. When your values are grounded in the Bible, it is a lot harder for them to be moved and swayed by whatever is trending. Our values should never change because God doesn’t change.
God First: “But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” — James 1:6
We must teach our children to put God first in their lives so that when things get tough, we know who to rely on. We have to teach our children to look to God for answers and not the world. We do this by teaching them how to read the Bible, going to church, and welcoming God with hymns.
Respect: “Being respected is more important than having great riches. To be well thought of is better than silver or gold.” - Proverbs 22:1
Remember, God made men and women equal and in God’s image. It is our duty as Christians to show respect to all. Part of being respectful is having the humility to know that we do not know everything.
Responsibility: “Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds. Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them! They will be paid back for what their hands have done.” - Isaiah 3:10-11
Teaching your children responsibility begins in the home by giving him or her duties in the home…without pay. A person with strength and dignity is able to take responsibility for his or her own actions and does not blame others for his or her shortcomings. When you are responsible for your actions, your money, etc., you know where you need to improve and end up being freer.
Self-Control: “Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.” -Proverbs 25:28
Our society values feelings, when we value doing whatever we love, having self-control becomes kind of foreign to many. Also doing what you love, isn’t necessarily healthy. This is why learning self-control means controlling our choice of words and behaviors. Our feelings should not dictate our behavior but our knowledge of what is right and wrong according to God. Self-control helps us delay impulse decision-making. It helps us overcome temptation, which may lead to bad outcomes.
Integrity and Honesty: “It is better to be honest and poor than dishonest and rich.” -Proverbs 16:8
Honesty, truth, and integrity go hand in hand. What this means is that how we behave in public should match how we behave at home. Remember, God sees our hearts and our behavior. Resistin participating in lying, deception, cheating, innuendos, which are very common in business, politics, and everyday life. In other words, practice what you preach.
Give Grace: “For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” - John 1:16
Love is the most important commandment that Jesus talks about. It is important for us to love, forgive, and respect ourselves, others, and God’s word. God created us in his own image, and as such we must treat others with kindness and respect. No one is perfect and if we don’t learn how to forgive ourselves or others, we could end up carrying a burden that is unnecessary. Lastly, love and forgiveness should not be confused with feeling sorry for someone.
Gratitude and Generosity: “The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.” - Proverbs 22:9
A generous person is a grateful person. I currently live in the south and I have never been around people who are more generous and filled with gratitude than southerners. Learning how to give to those who are less fortunate helps us be grateful for what we have. We learn to live simply and be content.
Patience and Perseverance: “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” - Romans 5: 3-5
When we become Christians we do not suddenly have a perfect life. Our problems do not go away and we do not suddenly know everything. However, by having hope in God, we learn how to trust in him and his goodness. The truth is that no matter how hard life gets, we must never give up and continue to persevere in the face of adversity.
Humility: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interest of the others.” - Philippians 2:3-4
Humility is the opposite of pride. Pride doesn’t always mean a boastful person but it can mean a person who refuses to admit when he or she is wrong. A humble person doesn’t dislike oneself but instead recognizes when he or she needs help and needs to improve their life. When they seek help, their wisdom increases.
Strength and Dignity: “She is clothed in strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.” - Proverbs 31:25
Although this passage is written about the virtuous woman. I do believe that the character and values of this woman apply to all. A person with strength is prudent and fair in and out of the home. This person has the courage and confidence to follows the principles and values laid out in the Bible. A person with dignity knows that every day is a day to bring God’s glory into the world. When a person has their priorities straight, they are able to live a life of strength and dignity and not worry about the secular world.
All values go hand in hand. We cannot have justice if we are only focusing on love. Love without truth is useless. We cannot have truth without Grace. We cannot grow in wisdom and patience without humility. Biblical values work together and when we teach our children these values they will grow to be confident human beings.
Note that Biblical values don’t change so no matter what the world is pushing if it doesn’t go with Christian values, we should be cautious of jumping on the bandwagon. Secular values are ever-changing but the Bible doesn’t change, so neither should our values.
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