Yes, it was real! 

When the Holy Spirit leads us to lead our children to repent it is real. The Lords accepts them, and forgives them and as simply as we tell our children that “the Lord remembers it no more”, our children receive it and bounce back. It is us adults who ponder back and forth and live in doubt.

Our children are called to flourish and prosper but as Matthew 3:8 says prosperity walks alongside with consistent repentance – with a conscious decision to change our ways from wrong. And as much as we want our children to flourish in every way how can we lead them to a turn away from sin and live a life alongside God?

“Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” – Matthew 3:2

We take this message to our children in the same vigour as John the Baptist and invariably scare them. Repentance, as scary as it may sound to our children and teens, we have to remember we have to lead them in love.

Below are a few guidelines that can help you start, however, let’s remember that every child is different and situations vary therefore the Holy Spirit is the best guide to help us lead our children through this process.

Luke 5:32: “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance”

The Gospel is the best love story to mankind and it is one love story with no complications and confusion. Then why do we complicate it? Complexity brings in fear and doubt and this was not Jesus’ approach to the Gospel.

We are called to help children understand that with our wrong actions, we go away from God. With sin in our hearts, we feel guilty and ashamed to go to God. God is closer to us than we can imagine, it is for us to just turn from our wrong ways and go to God. There is no sin, or wrongdoing that He cannot forgive. Repentance, saying sorry to God, is not a punishment for the wrongdoing but an access to receive God’s forgiveness and to receive His wisdom to make right choices.

Let children know that repentance is an opportunity to try again and grow closer to God.

He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But whoever confesses and turns away from his sins will find compassion and mercy.- Proverbs 28:13

We have got to help our children and teens come to a place of retrospection of their behaviour as often as it can be. Rather than blaming, or condemning a behaviour, bring them to a place where they can reflect on what they did and recognise their mistake. Condemnation can lead to hiding the wrongdoings and slowly become a habit and a lifestyle. Therefore, we are called to help our children acknowledge their mistake and then repent. At first, we will have to lead them but slowly they will learn and it will become a way of life.

Now, as often as we do this faster, they will learn and act accordingly. Be it a small mistake or a big one, the approach is the same. Lead children to repent daily, remember in love!

Let children identify that consistency in dealing with their mistakes will make them faithful in their walk with Jesus.

I do not consider that I have made it my own yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the [heavenly] prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 3: 13 & 14

Many older children and teens refrain from living a committed life with Christ because they are made to believe that there is no room for mistakes in God’s kingdom. “Once you say sorry you cannot repeat it.” A bit too harsh, isn’t it? We are called to encourage our children to try and not repeat their wrong actions. Give them a chance to deal with the consequences of their wrong choices and actions. Help them to find ways to make things right again. Assure them that there is forgiveness at the feet of Jesus for every mistake and no matter how many times, the important thing is to turn away and reunite with God.

Let children recognise their end goal is ‘Jesus’ and pursue to live a life in tune with God’s word.

The best way to lead is to lead by example. Children are very observant; we may not realise our actions but they are watching every action and reaction. Being their parents doesn’t give us the freedom to do what we want to do, also it doesn’t give us a reason to be perfect to them. As our children grow, they begin to recognise our flaws and find it difficult to accept them because, in their early childhood, we have shown them what they want to see.

There is no shame in accepting our mistake to our children. It doesn’t make us a lesser parent. Apologising to our children for a mistake we have made helps them understand us and accept the fact that we are imperfect.

Let children see us strive to avoid making mistakes and learn from them.

As mentioned earlier the Holy Spirit is the best guide to bring a child to repentance. We are just instruments in His hands therefore we have got to be flexible in our ways having one aim – lead them in love and point to Christ. We have to help our children recognise the fact that God alone can understand their struggles in dealing with wrong actions and He alone will help them overcome it. Take every opportunity to testify God’s faithfulness in your journey. Encourage children to pray each time they find themselves struggling and it is best when you pray with them. They gain confidence in us and are assured that they are not alone in this struggle.

“… God’s kindness leads you to repentance [that is, to change your inner self, your old way of thinking—seek His purpose for your life]” – Romans 2:4