Today kicks off a series called Teaching Our Kids to Choose Life. We hope the entire series will really help you talk to your kids about key subjects like honoring the elderly, protecting the unborn, loving the unloved, and cherishing those born with anomalies. But all of these topics rest on one basic premise. The premise that all LIFE has inherent value. And to begin with that premise, you and your kids need to have a solid understanding of exactly how much we as the human race are worth. Your first step and all further steps must revolve around an understanding of the true value of life.
(Read the following out loud to your children and discuss.)
How can we know that all LIFE has inherent value? What is the worth of each human and the human race as a whole? What is your value?
It starts with God.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1
“In the beginning was the word. And the word was with God. And the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were made through Him, and by Him everything was made that has been made.”
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16
These three verses lay a foundation that begins to establish our value. We were created by God. Jesus was with God and all things were made through Him. God gave His son JESUS to die on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins and raised Him from the dead on the 3rd day so that we can have LIFE.
Our lives, OUR VERY EXISTENCE, was worth the death of GOD’s ONE AND ONLY SON. That is a whole lot of worth. Consider these words from C.S.Lewis and Max Lucado.
“When Christ died, He died for you individually just as much as if you’d been the only man in the world.” C. S. Lewis
“God sees us with the eyes of a Father. He sees our defects, errors, and blemishes. But He also sees our value. What did Jesus know that enabled Him to do what He did? Here’s part of the answer: He knew the value of people. He knew that each human being is a treasure. And because He did, people were not a source of stress, but a source of joy.” Max Lucado in I Never Knew That Was in the Bible
Jesus DIED for ALL. Jesus died for EACH ONE. And when you look at someone whom you do not wish to value – just remember this: JESUS DIED FOR HIM. How much value you place on the life of each person must revolve around this fact. Each of us is but a sinner. Each of us is not worthy on our own merit. All have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. (Romans 3:23) And yet our lives are measured by the GRACE OF GOD. He treasures us!
So how does this effect the way we live our lives day-to-day? God loves us each so much that before time even began, he prepared a way for us to live eternally with Him in heaven. And the word EACH is key here in knowing how to live on earth.
EACH person in your life should be treated like what they are worth. The very life of Christ.
Love your sister like Jesus does.
Love your Dad like Jesus does.
Love your neighbor like Jesus does.
Love the angry cashier like Jesus does.
Love the harried mother like Jesus does.
Love the bully like Jesus does.
Love the people who are hard to love. And love them like Jesus loves.
Now we are getting personal aren’t we? It is not an easy thing to treat with value those people who are not loving towards us. Let’s talk about some concrete ways we can show God’s love to each person we meet. I’d love for you to brainstorm some ideas as a family and let me know what you came up with in the comments of this post.
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