Join Ed, Amy and Mark as they discuss life going back to school after the time we have had...
The "back to school" week can be difficult for a number of reasons - there can be big emotions around starting a new school, or even just returning after a good Summer holiday. Perhaps this is even more pronounced with all the disruption around COVID. Sometimes we can feel like a spiritual failure if we experience these difficult emotions, but actually, they can be a helpful warning light to help us see that something is not right. Emotions are not a good barometer for our spiritual health.
What would be a distinctively Christian approach to things like anxiety, depression and panic? We often need to preach to ourselves, reminding ourselves of what we know to be true about God; going back to the cross, where the many wonderful aspects of God's character come together. How can we communicate this in a simple way for children to understand? "Know the Lord" - remembering what his track record is, and therefore what he will do in the future. Do not be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God. We don't know what school is going to be like, but what do we know? We know that God is trustworthy. How does God treat people through the Bible? That shows us what God is like, and how we will care for us through our fears. The job of a parent is to work out what can I say about God that speaks into my child's fears so that they can say "I'm ok because He has me".
Psalm 46 speaks powerfully into situations of anxiety and helps us get to the point of trusting God amid storms, rooting our response in the truth of verse 1: "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."
What does it look like for a child to say "God is our fortress?" Knowing that God is with us through all the storms; he is our safe place.
People:
Ed Drew - Director of FIK
Amy - Faith in Kids
Mark Meynell - born in London and works as a freelance writer, a chaplain in Whitehall, and Director (Europe & Caribbean) for Langham Preaching (part of Langham Partnership). Married to Rachel, they have 2 children – Joshua and Zanna
Quote from Ed:
'Part of parenting is making peace with the fact that your children are safer in the ark, in the distressing situations of life, than they would be if they never left your kitchen. God is their fortress, and in those moments we have an opportunity to pray with them and say "thank you that today you were their fortress; thank you that today you are our fortress and thank you that you have kept us safe."'
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Podcast edited by Rachel Redeemed (https://twitter.com/rachelredeemed)
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As our children shoot up, the challenges grow too, who will they listen to as they work these things out?
Our brand new “Growing Up” Resources are launching on 2 May for parents and churches to use together as we help our children grow up in today’s world, with God’s word as their guide. Head to faithinkids.org for all the details on this excellent series. They’re growing up fast so come on, let’s share God’s good story.