Do you have a plan for teaching biblical virtues to your child? If you have a plan in place, your child will have a strong moral foundation built on God’s Word. Let’s look at the types of virtues you can teach your child.
What are Biblical Virtues?
As Christians, we need to learn what NOT to do, but also what TO DO to follow God. Biblical virtues are what we need to do as we grow in spiritual maturity. They give us something to pursue rather than avoid.
It’s important to teach your child the YES side of obedience, not only the NO side. You may often tell your child NO, but biblical virtues give you the green light for saying YES. They are behaviors your child can pursue with God’s help and your guidance.
Teaching Biblical Virtues to Your Child
Just as your child needs you to teach what to avoid, he or she needs you to teach what to pursue. By tweaking your approach, it’s straightforward and simple to teach your child about virtues. Let’s consider some examples.
You see your oldest child hit his baby brother. Instead of only saying, “We do not hit one another in this family,” you add on, “We treat each other with love and kindness.” By doing this, you give your son two virtues to pursue, rather than simply correcting him for his wrongs.
In another example, you catch your daughter in a lie. It’s right and appropriate to say, “It’s wrong to tell lies.” But it’s also important to teach her which virtues to pursue. You can say, “We must be honest with one another so we can trust each other always.” In that statement, you’ve reinforced the value of both honesty and trust.
Teaching biblical virtues to your child isn’t difficult, but it does take intentionality and creativity. Your child will have a well-rounded view of God’s plan with this two-pronged approach to discipline.
Virtues to Teach Your Child
The best collection of biblical virtues is in Galatians 5:22-23 ESV, the fruits of the spirit:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
It’s good to review these virtues regularly as a part of your “house rules.” Remind your child that we receive these virtues through the power of the Holy Spirit, who will enable the heart changes necessary for each personality to become more virtuous.
There are many other verses that talk about biblical virtues. Look them up as you encounter specific teaching moments in your child’s spiritual walk. As you tie lessons to God’s Word, your child’s faith will be strengthened. A few examples include strength, courage, wisdom and purity. God will empower your child to put on these virtues, and many others, with your assistance.
Your Young Child Needs These Virtues
To learn more about teaching biblical virtues to your child, listen to Episode 20 now! It will instruct you about the importance of instilling virtues in your parenting plan.
If you liked this post, please share it on social media using the buttons below!