HOW TO TEACH YOUR CHILD THE WORD OF GOD

 

CAN CHILDREN UNDERSTAND THE WORD

Children can understand and grow in wisdom and the knowledge of God. Children are impressionable and can be easily influenced. Teach them the word of God, and when they are old, they will not depart from it. Some parents feel their kids are too young to understand biblical teachings, but children can learn about God and His word from a tender age. For instance, they start learning the alphabet, numbers, and nursery rhymes when they are toddlers, and they understand them. In the same way, they can learn the word of God, bible songs etc and understand them. What is important is presenting the lesson to the child skillfully and using methods suitable for their age.

HOW TO TEACH CHILDREN THE WORD OF GOD

1.   Keep it simple: use simple words that are easy to understand to communicate the word of God to children.

2.   Use colourful and relevant pictures: Pictures illustrate the bible story and improve the child’s understanding of the topic. Using pictures makes your work teaching your child easier.

3.   Use imagery: let them use their imagination to explore the thoughts you are communicating. This will help them ask further questions on the topic/subject of discourse.

4.   Videos and graphics: Videos are another relevant tool to teach children the word of God. As the child watches and is fascinated, you begin to chirp in the necessary information or message you want the child to know as you watch with the child. This tool is handy for parents or caregivers who do not know how to teach a child the word of God. Instead of leaving their bible education to chance, get collections of bible stories and other relevant resources the child can watch and learn. Watch the videos before showing your kids, so you can know the content. This way, you can discuss it with the child and not be disconnected when the child mentions a character or scene in the video. Watching them also helps you know if the content is good enough for your child’s consumption. Watch the videos with your kids, it is fun when you are part of their learning process.

5.   Take them to children's Sunday school, kids' bible club, vocational bible school for kids, children's camp and other well-established centres/ministries that teach children the word of God. It will complement the work you are doing at home.

6.   Install collections of interesting bible stories, cartoons, quizzes and games in their tabs and let them have a variety to watch and play with.

BENEFITS OF TEACHING CHILDREN THE WORD OF GOD

•     They will know God and His ways.

•      The word of God is a great tool that moulds their character and influences their habits, actions, decision making and even their association.

•      You will have peace as a parent.

•      You will be fulfilled as a Christian parent that you raised a godly child.     

 

WAITING ON THE LORD BIBLE VERSES

 GENERAL BIBLE VERSE FOR WAITING ON THE LORD

1.  “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isa. 40:31-NKJV).
2.  “If you ask anything in my name, I will do it” (John 14:14-NKJV). 
3.  Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray (James 5:13-NLT). 
4.   Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you (1 Peter 5:7 KJV).
5. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you 
6. (1 Peter 5:10-KJV).For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off (Prov 23:18-KJV) 
7.  "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord (Psalm 27:14 –NIV).
8.    But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day (Deut 8:18 -KJV). 
9. God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land (Ps 68:6-KJV). 
10. But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day (2 Peter 3:8-NIV).

FRUIT OF THE WOMB BIBLE VERSES

1. He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord (Ps 113:9-KJV).     
2.  When Elkanah slept with Hannah, the Lord remembered her plea, 20 and in due time she gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, "I asked the Lord for him. (1 Sam 1:19-20-NLT). 
3. Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward (Ps 127:3-NKJV).             
4.  And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken. 2 For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. (Gen 21:1-2-NKJV). 
5. None will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span (Ex 23:26-NIV). 
6. Your children shall be like olive plants all around your table (Psalm128:3-NKJV). 
7. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." (Gen 1:28-NIV).

 

 

 

 

WAITING ON THE LORD

 “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isa. 40:31-NKJV).

Waiting is a period until something you desire/trust God for happens or comes to pass. For example, married couples who have not embraced a child and trust God for one are experiencing a waiting period. A person who is unemployed or engaged in menial jobs, but trusts God for something bigger and better is also waiting on the Lord. Whatever the peculiar need/circumstance, every child of God will at one point or the other, experience the waiting period.

WAITING FOR THE FRUIT OF THE WOMB

The waiting period differs from person to person. Some people wait for longer times in comparison to others. The length of your waiting period is not as important as your attitude while you are waiting. 

Every married woman expects to embrace her baby. Apart from her expectation, other well-meaning family members, friends and well-wishers also have the same expectation for her. During wedding ceremonies, a common blessing decreed over the couple is “by this time next year/after nine months, we shall all gather together again to celebrate”, indicating that the couple should have birthed their first child during this time window. After one year rolls and the baby have not come, pressure begins to mount on the woman or both couple. In instances where the woman is not perturbed, those around her may mock her or do/say suggestive things to make her feel bad. She hears common questions like “what are you still waiting for” I need to carry my grandchildren (sometimes from mothers in-law) and other such comments. I remembered my waiting period for the fruit of the womb; I was discussing with a particular woman and told her I wasn’t feeling well, the next thing she did was to look very obviously at my belly. Thank God the waiting period was not very many years and the Lord gave me children.

Waiting on the Lord does not mean God has failed you or does not care about you. If you think like that, you will feel dejected. Waiting period is an avenue for you to trust God and lay hold on his promises. That is why it is important to arm yourself with the right attitude while you are waiting. When God meets your expectation, you are encouraged and when faced with greater challenges, you can count on Him because He did it before and can do it again.

WHAT DO YOU DO WHILE YOU ARE WAITING 

1. DO AWAY WITH ANXIETY:   “Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad” (Proverbs 12:25-NKJV). Maintain peace with yourself and not get overly troubled. Sure, you should be concerned, but it shouldn’t steal your joy or peace. Don’t ask yourself silly questions such as the following: am I cursed? Am I barren?, Who is after me? etc. 
2.  BE GRATEFUL: If you are waiting on God for a child, you have other blessings. For instance, you have a spouse which another lady is waiting on God for. Maybe you have a thriving ministry, business, promising talent etc. The fact is that you are not barren, but born for a purpose. Childbirth is not the only index for fruitfulness. Each time you feel discouraged or weighed down, think of every other thing that is working for you and rejoice you have them. Be grateful for the blessings you have.  That means, if you trust God for a child, thank God for your life, health (some people are in dire need of good health), spouse, siblings, job etc. In addition, thank God for the child you are expecting.

3.   PRAY: What is the basis of your waiting? Do not wait hopelessly; our faith is anchored on the word of God. Find out bible verses that concern you and pray with them. Be expectant when you pray, believing that God has heard you and has granted your request.

4.   FAITH DECLARATIONS: Say what God says that you desire and keep speaking to yourself. While you are waiting for the fruit of the womb, look at yourself in the mirror and declare you are a joyful mother of children. Declare you are fruitful; declare the goodness of God upon your life. If you are waiting for a spouse, declare that you are married, you do not lack a mate etc. Align your words with your expectation, and don’t speak doom or in negation of your expectations because your words are seeds and you will have what you say

5.   ACT YOUR FAITH: Start making preparations for your expectation. Buy baby items, read about parenting, make a wedding list etc. Act depending on what you trust God about.

WHAT I DID WHILE WAITING ON GOD FOR A CHILD

Sincerely, I was initially anxious when one year passed, and my baby had not come. 

"Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, But a good word makes it glad" (Prov 12:25-NASU).

However, when I got engaged with academic activities, I had less time for worries because I was busy meeting up for classes, making presentations, doing assignments, reading for exams etc. I was preoccupied with academic work when I took in and confirmed pregnant. The pregnancy progressed, and we welcomed our first child. I know the natural thing to do is get anxious, but I’m encouraging you to do away with anxiety, and get engaged with other fulfilling ventures.

Secondly, while I was waiting and praying, when I go shopping for groceries, I will buy a baby item, for instance, a feeder in one shopping, baby shoes in another, unisex wear in another. It was my act of faith that the baby i was waiting for will use those items. At the time i conceived, I already had many baby items.

Thirdly, I read a Christian literature titled “Supernatural Childbirth” by Jackie Mize. I also read the bible too. You can read about women in the bible like Hannah who trusted God for the fruit of the womb.

If you are still disturbed and need to speak to someone, identify someone who trusted God while waiting and eventually got answers.

 

Shalom!

 

SCHOOL NA SCAM?: PURPOSE OF SCHOOLS/EDUCATION

 

In recent times, a common trendy statement in some parts of Nigeria is a short phrase of three words captioned school na scam. The caption caught my attention especially because it is commonly peddled by the demography of young people.

Assumedly, the caption connotes different philosophies:

School is not an index for wealth generation:  School na scam is an observable result produced from feelings of dissatisfaction and discouragement. After obtaining a degree, the youth has to learn an informal/formal skill to be able to earn a living. You hear statements such as; with all your efforts, reading and passing exams and even making the first-class grade, what do you have to show for it. It means the expectation of the speaker is to be gainfully employed after going to school and earn a salary either commensurate to efforts put into learning.

There is no perceived benefit associated with being educated in terms of financial remuneration. Somebody goes through school, works hard and becomes certified, but is not able to get formal employment and consequently remuneration of work. It questions the purpose and benefit of work put into schooling.

School na scam is also fueled by yahoo-yahoo (internet fraud), a short-cut alternative to work and quick wealth,: In an environment where crime is bred and even normalized as a means of earning income, it thrives. I have asked for the occupation of a person and the response was yahoo-yahoo. I wondered how yahoo-yahoo suddenly became a vocation or skill acquisition because I hear some people say they are learning yahoo-yahoo. They get enrolled and trained to learn it like they are learning a vocation

Yahoo-yahoo is crime that is sometimes laced with ritual killing to aid quick wealth. The internet became suddenly agog with news of either a slain girl or an attempted murder of a girl by a suspected ritualist/yahoo boy. When there is so much money to throw around, without decent work, and the person who has a degree, and working with his degree has little to show for his efforts, it leads to an undeniable conclusion of school na scam.

In addition, some people can earn a degree without working for it. That means every grade got that made the certificate awarded was paid for. They get a certificate without ever entering the school they purportedly graduated from. They neither attend lectures nor sit for exams, suddenly you hear the person has graduated. Records from the institution will show the person enrolled and sat for exams and has met all the requirements. They bag degrees without being schooled. This is possible because they were able to pay their way through and some systems permitted it. A person peddling school na scam philosophy knows he can make quick wealth and pay his way through to earn a degree.

Another reason for school na scam ideology is Government failure and ineptitude, bureaucracy and nepotism 

The statement school na scam cannot be rightly put away altogether as nonsense because of the prevailing situation in the country. Unemployment, increasing poverty level, the rising cost of living, recurrent strikes etc contribute to the philosophy of school na scam.  Some students are ready to put their minds to work, but institutions are shut down due to recurring strikes as a result of a lack of political will to do the needful. Some students are coerced to pay for their grades to pass or lose the grade and fail. Why should such a student read or work after paying? Destroying the educational system is synonymous to destroying the future of society.

In situations where schools that are designed to give education fail to do so because of corrupt practices, or give training that is outdated and not relevant to current market needs, school na scam may look tenable. In light of obvious failures and gaps between our educational system and societal/market demand, the Government and all critical stakeholders in the academia must necessarily improve the educational system in Nigeria. In developed climes, where systems are working, a statement as school na scam may not be trendy.

WHAT IS SCHOOL?

School in a simple sense is a place where people learn to read, write and acquire knowledge after systemic exposure to the learning curriculum. Learning is a continuum and does not cease for those who aspire and continuously seek knowledge. In attending a school different methods of teaching are employed, and contents are structured in ways that new ideas/theories are built on existing ones.

PURPOSE OF SCHOOL

Imagine a world without formal schools?

Learning is both formal and informal and without formal schools, there will still be some form of learning and informal education. Howbeit, there is a different twist if my thoughts cannot be scribbled on paper for others to read and understand. Communication will be a little more difficult. Writing in my native dialect cannot be done if I cannot read or write in my dialect. It feels so good to know that I can read the bible, fill a biodata of myself or a bank enrollment form. I can learn from western cultures and use modern technology for my work/business. All these and many more will not be possible if I did not attend school.

School, whether virtual or actual exists to train people in learning and character, refine talents and make people more civil.

EDUCATION IS LIGHT

Education is commonly termed as the light and human right of any individual. You never can fully know the importance of education until you can solve a common problem in your environment from knowledge gained in science or art.

 Education aids critical thinking, keeps you informed and makes you a better person. With education, you put your intellect to use and continuously sharpen your mental prowess. With education, you are trained and empowered with knowledge for a field of study, where you contribute meaningfully to society. That means, doctors, lawyers, teachers, bankers, artist, journalists etc. It is true that there are unemployed graduates, but there are also graduates who are earns well legitimately and contribute their quota to the society. Education is the light of any given society and must not be equated for a scam. 

SCHOOL NA SCAM?

A scam is any scheme that is deceptive or used to defraud people. This does not fit the definition or purpose of school. To the discourse of this article, school nor be scam. Ignorance na scam. I have gone through school(s) and there is a way it affects my thinking and disposition towards living. The singular fact that knowledge is acquired and ignorance curbed gives enough credence to the fact that school is not a scam. 

Dear reader, please keep hope alive, school nor be scam, yahoo-yahoo na crime. Making money dubiously and paying your bills by it does not equate crime for right, though charitable deeds are done with the proceeds.

Professionally, I teach students, which means I impact knowledge and get paid for what I do. It will not be possible if I see school as a scam.

Before you key into the idea of school na scam and opt for yahoo-yahoo as your means of wealth, think of alternatives for generating revenue that is crime free and you will be at rest.

BIBLE VERSES ABOUT ILL-GOTTEN WEALTH

Proverbs 13:11(ESV)

Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it. 

Proverbs 15:27(ESV)

Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household, but he who hates bribes will live.

Proverbs 21:6 (NIV)

A fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare 

Proverbs 20:17(ESV)

Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterwards his mouth will be full of gravel.

Proverbs 15:16 (ESV) 

Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it.

Thank you for reading