Are You Blessing Your Children?

What is your child's best skill? What can they do really well? If you can't answer that, we have a problem.

A few weeks ago, I partnered with some friends to host a Courageous Families Experience. We showed the Courageous film and then followed up with two afternoons of teaching/discussion/exchanges based on the principles brought to light in the film. It was a neat opportunity to connect the movie to our everyday lives.

One session was based on the concept of blessing your children. We used God's expression of joy over Jesus going to John the Baptist to be baptized as our model.

"As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.'"

Matthew 3:16-17

New International Version (NIV) 

Did you catch it? Let me unpack it:

"This is MY son" - You are part of who I am!

"whom I love" - I love you!

"with Him I am well pleased." - You make me proud! 

 When was the last time you expressed these words to your child?

Then today, I was reading Genesis 49 where Jacob is about to die and calls for his twelve sons so that he can speak to them one last time and bless them.  The passage identifies each son by name as Jacob points out each son's strongest attribute. At the end of this experience, verse 28 reads,

"...he blessed each one according to his own blessing."

Jacob knew their strengths. Do you know your child's strength? What has God gifted them to do best? Our task as parents is to help them identify their God-given abilities and how they can use those abilities for His glory.


I fully realize this is easier said than done. We have to be students of our children.  And when we identify their strengths, we should funnel them toward opportunities to improve and use them to honor the Lord. Too often, parents try to see how wide they can stretch their children instead of how deep they can grow their children. At the same time, some try to go so deep in one area, they they begin to neglect other important factors such as family and church.  We must stay connected to God through Jesus Christ so that He will guide us and give us wisdom.


I invite you to help me create a brag board. Let's share our children's strengths. You don't have to give their name (or yours). Just post a sentence or two sharing what you think their strength is...


Photo Credit: http://www.natural-holistic-health.com/creating-strength-in-your-life/