Teaching my children to serve....

After the powerful sermon from Dr. Dale this last Sunday, my wish for my children is not to get too wrapped up in their 'stuff' but wrapped up in their relationships.  Because "God wants us to Live for What Matters Most".  (Scripture from Luke 12:13-21)  So, what matters most?  First, our relationship with God.  Second, our relationship with family.  And, third, our relationship with friends and fellow humans.

Our family has a strong focus on our relationship with God.  We do a morning bible study each morning; sometimes we read straight from the bible, other times we do a biblical activity with a scripture reference and sometimes we use one of our many children's devotional books.  My children also watch me model my relationship with God by seeing me read my bible every morning.
We also have a strong family relationship.  We eat dinner as a family 95% of the time during the week.  We talk about our day and give praises for actions that stood out to us so that each family member feels special and appreciated.
So, my focus for this week is to really try and teach my children how to serve their friends and fellow human beings.  Using the scripture from Ephesians 6:7 that says "Serve eagerly as if you were serving your heavenly master and not merely serving human masters" we can tie in the relationship we are building with God and eagerly serve our friends in the way that would make God most happy.

Here is the week-long plan:
Monday - Give water bottles to our trash guys and say Thank You with a smile on our faces.
Tuesday - Make cards for any church member that's in the hospital or needing a pick-me up.
Wednesday - Make cookies for our neighborhood firehouse.
Thursday - Pick out items from our pantry to donate to the food basket at church.
Friday - Pick a gently used toy to donate to another child in need.
Saturday - Using their own money, buy cat and dog food and donate it to our local animal shelter.

Your plan may look different.  If you are just starting this journey I urge you to work on priority relationship number one within your family, your relationship(s) with God and Jesus.  You can begin by praying out loud with your child(ren) and having them say some things they are thankful for.  Praise God together!

Have a wonderful and blessed week!