Declaring identity over your little ones - for Christian parents
In Sunday school, kids church and children's ministry settings, we often underestimate the role a parent plays in the faith formation of a child. The truth is that parents are the number one disciple-makers of their children, which is why I advocate for partnering with them.
One of the most important aspects of a child's development that is crafted by parents is their identity. This article offers parents a helpful and hands-on method for declaring Scripture over kids in a way that is not only true to the Bible, but also memorable and fun.
May you find space here to pause, reflect, and abide.
The beautiful God-given identity of every child
There is something to be said about how unfiltered a child’s emotions are. As adults,
we try to cover up and mask our feelings that are not deemed as ‘appropriate’ in any
given situation. But children do not feel this need. They will throw themselves on the
floor and refuse to move, despite a crowd of eyes nervously watching: a beautiful
mess. And if they truly enjoy something you don’t have to guess how they’re feeling
because there will be squeals of delight and laughter filling the air.
Young, wild, and free
Imagine if you completely gave in to every emotion just for one morning – not even a
full day: Would you get out of bed? Would you make it to work? Would the dog be
fed and the electricity bill paid? Would you brush your teeth? Would you sing and
dance along to the music? Would you play? How about the rest of your family, would
they survive without you ‘on duty’?
We have complicated our lives with a lot of clutter that can actually distract us from
being exactly who God made us to be – with no filters. There are so-called
‘important’ or ‘real’ things that motivate us to apply a thick layer of OK over our faces
every morning. We have to cope. We have to keep it together. We have to keep
going. We have to make an impact.
But God created humankind to be children first. I wonder if there’s something about
our identity in Christ that is hidden in our emotions. There might be some glimmer of
our true untarnished identity hidden in every laugh. I read earlier this week that a
baby laughs 300 times a day!
What was our true identity as a child in the Father’s hands before the world had any impact on us?
Here are some Scriptures you can use to declare identity over your children (and
yourself)...
- 1 John 3:2
- 1 Corinthians 3:8-9
- Matthew 5:14-16
- Ephesians 2:10
Declaring God-given identity over kids
I want to share a helpful declaration that I wrote for our children’s ministry at church.
These statements are based on Scripture and very simple to remember. They had to
be; the youngest kids are aged 4! We used this as part of our kids ministry program - it was repeated out loud every Sunday before we began the lesson portion.
But when my team-mate and I shared this with our
church staff, there was a moment of silence in the room.
My first response was embarrassment and wondering what we did wrong, but then they spoke up: “I need
that!” “Oh my, can I get a copy of that!” “Seriously, this is golden.” “I’ll put it on my
mirror!”
Adults also need reminders that not everything is serious. We need God to hold us
like little children and declare our true identity over us. We need the help of the Holy
Spirit to read Scripture over ourselves and maybe even believe it is true.
So, whether you’re a parent or a teacher, a volunteer or any other reader, I hope this helps you
to guide kids to remember their identity in Christ. And maybe, it's a helpful reminder of your own God-given identity as well.
Bible-based poem for kids to declare their God-given identity over themselves
How to:
(Kids touch each body part as they say this, like head-shoulders-knees-and-toes style)
My thoughts are fixed on Jesus
He makes me really wise
He is the one who sees us
I have Kingdom eyes
My ears can hear His voice
And He tells me what to do
With my mouth I will rejoice
My words are kind and loving too
My heart is where He stays
It’s where everything begins
These hands I will raise
They’ll only do good things
My feet can walk around the earth
To share with everyone
This body has a lot of worth
Now let’s go have some fun!
If you use this identity-statement, I'd love to hear how it went. It's always been a big hit when I've tried it with groups of kids I worked with. :)
Identity in Christ is the most important thing
Nothing can compare to the value of teaching young kids about their God-given identity. That is why this is so important. A solid identity built on the strong foundation of Christ is what will keep them steady when life's storms come their way. Identity becomes a key component later in life, and especially in the teenage years.
I have a short lesson plan for sale that takes the kid-friendly principles shared here and applies it to a group that's a bit older - tweens and teens. Feel free to check that out to also bring this value to an older generation:
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