In Deuteronomy 3:28, the Lord said to Moses, “But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see.”
How many of us have greeted our kids after a long day of school and sports or dance practice to find them worn out by a whole host of challenges they faced during the day at school. We do our best to encourage them… tomorrow will be better, we say… but they just won’t hear it.
This school year, let’s flip that on it’s head. Instead of after-the-fact encouragement, let’s launch our kids into their days filled with courage to face whatever they will bring.
To encourage is to give support, confidence and hope. Let’s look at each of these.
Give support.
This spring, a hundred volunteer sunflowers came up along one side of our garden where seeds had fallen last fall. It was incredible to watch them grow, many of them to seven or eight feet tall. They grow fast, and end up with a thick, woody stem to hold the weight of their flower.
But some of them, while they were still growing, were knocked over by wind. The stems didn’t break, but they did bend, and the kink that resulted in the stem prevented their flowers from maturing.
Just like the sunflowers, our kids need us to stand beside them with extra support when the winds are the strongest. As they mature, we’ll be able to release our hands and allow them to stand on their own.
Loving touch is key for the development of children. Kids who lack the loving touch of a consistent caregiver are more prone to bend and break when trials come.
I think one of the best things you can do as a parent or caregiver is to put your hand on the shoulder of your teenage sun or pat him on the back. He may squirm away from a hug, but your loving touch may be just the support he needs for today.
Give confidence.
The lead in a recent article about our high school’s cross country team said, “Evart’s fourth runner proved to be the difference in a close race… on Saturday. Josh Woods of Evart finished 23rd, six places ahead of Bear Lake’s fourth finisher, and that six-point gap was the exact margin of victory for Evart.”
Running in fourth place is on few people’s bucket list—I want to come in fourth!—but when our kids see their accomplishments in context, they can have the confidence to keep running… and win.
The words we use with our kids every morning have the ability to instill that confidence, or destroy it. Just before that last cross country meet, my younger son said to me, “Dad, don’t yell at him, cheer him on.” And so we did.
Your kids need you to be their cheerleader as much as they need you to be their coach.
Give hope.
We give a lot of things to our kids: things they need, and things they don’t.
Ephesians 6:4 has often been a convicting verse for me. It says, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” When we do teach them to walk in God’s will, we direct them along a fruitful path. Though it is narrow, it leads them to life.
Isaiah 40:31 says, “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Today’s prayer for your child: Father, thank you for giving me the strength and confidence to love and lead my children well. Help me to build courage in to them as they walk in your will. Today, as they are at school, be their support, be their confidence, and be their hope. Amen.
Also in this series from Deuteronomy 3:28…
Day 1: Pray for influence, and inspire them