Big Idea: We can boast about the goodness of Jesus because He has made us right with God.

Parent Prep: It's natural for kids to learn to be proud of what they can achieve. It's a healthy part of development for a child to grow a sense of self-pride in what they are capable of. When it comes to salvation, however, the opposite is true. No one can reconcile themselves to God, no matter how holy they try to be. (Romans 3:23). We spend our time telling our kids how great they are, how proud we are of them and how much we think of them. But when Paul talks about his achievements, he considers what he earned on his own 'a loss' and 'garbage'. This is not to say we shouldn't encourage our kids to be proud of who they are and what they can achieve. It means that when we talk about salvation, and being acceptable to God, we need to help them see that nothing great about them, no matter how great it is, is enough. All of us are separated from God, and all of us need Jesus to reconcile us to Him. It's actually freeing for kids to learn that they don't have to be 'good enough' for God, and what makes them important to Him is simply because He has chosen them to be His.

Read Philippians 3:1-11  together in a children's Bible, or this easy-to-read version here.

Listen 

Make a list of all the things your kids are good at together. Let them help make the list so it as personal as they would like it to be. Eg. Making playdough dinosaurs, cooking spaghetti, keeping their room tidy etc. 

Then ask your children, who in your family do they think is the best at being good and following all the rules. Is it mummy? Daddy? or any of the kids? Does this make that person better than everyone else in your family? Why or why not? 

Talk

Talk with children about all the things that Paul says He's good at. Look at verses 5-6. Here's why he says those things:

  • Being 'circumcised on the eighth day' was a command given to the Jewish people in the book of the law (Leviticus 12:3) to show that the baby belonged to God's people.
  • He was born an Israelite, one of God's people, from the tribe of Benjamin. He knew he was one of God's chosen Jewish people from God's special tribes.
  • He was the best at keeping the rules of the law: he was a pharisee! That meant he was an expert at the law and taught others what it said.
  • He was so good at being a perfect Jew that he bullied other people who didn't do what the law said. 

All these things should have made Paul the best and most acceptable to God, but it didn't. He said that the only thing worth really boasting about was how great Jesus was, because the only thing that makes us acceptable to God is Jesus. 

It's okay to be proud of the way God has made us, but not to boast about these things as if they make us more important than other people. Paul says the only thing that makes us important, and worth boasting about is that Jesus is so good that He chose us to be His friends. 

Do

Instead of making lists about how good we are at things, try to make a list together of all the great things worth celebrating about Jesus. Pin your list to the fridge this week, and use it to shape your prayers, thanking Jesus for all the good He has given to us. 

Have a great week!