Perspective is everything. How we view ourselves, others and God impacts every moment of our day.
How do you view your time with the child in your life?
What perspective do you have?
Could you begin to have an eternal perspective?
I believe we have been given a role of immeasurable value by the Lord to love, nurture and empower the children in our lives to live with an eternal viewpoint. In an age where the immediate and instant is highly prized, could we instil something different in a child's heart and mind?
Ecclesiastes 3:11 New Living Translation
God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart...
God has already planted this seed of eternity within our and our children's hearts. How can we partner with him to enable it to sprout and grow?
Everyone wants to feel important and significant. How much more so do children? I believe we can model what it means to live with an eternal perspective; to show them how to value their lives, to view each moment as a gift from God and to have a mindset that we are training for reigning with King Jesus forever.
How can we do this?
- Regularly read bible stories about heaven. I recommend My First Message and Jesus Storybook Bible. Read through story bibles in order and help your child see God's big plan from creation through to redemption through to heaven!
- Talk about heaven as a real place, wonder and get excited about heaven… Explore Revelation 1, 4, 21, 22... What colours are in heaven, what is Jesus' risen body like, describe God's throne... Activate your child's creativity to paint, draw, build, sing, write about their heavenly home.
- Have Adventure Times where you ask Holy Spirit to be your heavenly tour guide. Spend time allowing Him to show you what Jesus has promised He's preparing for us (see John 14:2). What can you see, hear, sense? Share and value what you experience, and draw or write about it so it is not forgotten.
- Consistently tell your child that they are extremely important and significant in God's plan for the world. They have a unique place in what He is doing. Research stories of other children who believed this and did great things for God.
- Talk about reigning with Jesus: the bible says we will rule with him forever! Check out Revelation 22:1-5. It's going to be so incredibly exciting when we are with Him for eternity! Play at being 'queen' or 'king' for the day to help your child think about how their choices can affect others.
- As you learn about and experience more of heaven, pray for these things to be on earth too (see Matthew 6:10). Help your child to view problems or difficulties from an eternal perspective: what is heaven's solution to this issue? How could we bring heaven to earth to help with this? What is Jesus showing you? What can we pray, speak or do to be part of God's answer to this? We can make a difference for eternity!
Every day is a precious gift from God with new opportunities to live from a heavenly perspective, valuing the seeds of eternity planted in your child's heart and nuturing them to grow and blossom.
2 Corinthians 3:18 Good News Translation
All of us, then, reflect the glory of the Lord with uncovered faces; and that same glory, coming from the Lord, who is the Spirit, transforms us into his likeness in an ever greater degree of glory.
