Today’s world makes parenting even more challenging with rising mental health struggles, anxiety, depression, bullying, and easy access to harmful content through the internet and technology.

As a christ-centered parents, we want our children to know God and love God.

Cultural Christians vs. Christ-Centered Christians

Deuteronomy 6:4-6 (NIV) says:

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts."

This verse teaches us to speak about God regularly with our children so that they absorb and remember His teachings.

Being Christ-centered means truly loving God with all your heart, mind, and soul. As parents, this is especially important when raising children in their early years. At a young age, children are mainly influenced by just one or two people—their parents.

That’s why we need to talk about God all the time—during breakfast, on the way somewhere, at lunch, dinner, and before bed. When our family is Christ-centered, God isn’t just a part of our lives or someone we turn to only in tough times. He is our life.

Meanwhile, a cultural Christian is someone who identifies as a Christian but does not fully live according to God's teachings. Their faith may be based on tradition, routine, or social identity rather than a deep personal relationship with Christ. They may attend church, pray occasionally, or mention God in times of trouble, but He is not the foundation of their daily lives. Cultural Christians may know about God, but Christ-centered Christians actively seek to know and follow Him in all aspects of life.

3 Common Parenting Mistakes

1. We avoid risks too much
   We try too hard to protect our children from pain and struggles because we don’t want them to get hurt. But by doing this, we stop them from growing. Facing challenges helps them build confidence and trust in God. "Without faith, it is impossible to please God." – Hebrews 11:6

   
   

2. We rescue them too quickly
   Consequences are some of life’s best teachers. If we always step in to fix their mistakes, they miss out on valuable lessons. This can also lead them to not take God seriously. "A person reaps what they sow." – Galatians 6:7

3. We don’t live out our faith strongly
   If we aren’t truly committed to following Jesus, how can we expect our children to be? Kids learn more from what they see than from what they hear. The fastest way to push them away from God is to say one thing but do the opposite. "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." – Mark 7:6

How We Can Do Better in Accepting and Loving God

The people and things we expose our children to will shape who they become and what they believe. We can’t force them to love God, but we can guide them by surrounding them with good influences and experiences that help them grow in faith.

How to Raise Christ-Centered Children

The people and experiences we expose our children to shape their beliefs and values. While we cannot force them to love God, we can create an environment where faith thrives.

• Talk about God daily – during meals, before bed, and in everyday situations.

• Surround them with a strong Christian community – take them to church, introduce them to faithful mentors, and encourage friendships with other believers.

• Live out your faith authentically – let them see you pray, worship, and trust God in all circumstances.

• Read the Bible in front of them – when children see their parents reading the Bible, they will naturally follow. This creates a culture where talking to God and about God becomes normal in their daily lives.

• Teach them firsthand faith – our children should not go to church just because it is a family tradition, but because they genuinely desire to know God personally.

By making God the center of our lives, we show our children what it means to truly love Him. Let’s raise the next generation to be strong, faithful, Christ-centered Christians. ❤️