Teaching Children About God's Love with Simple Examples
Teaching Children About God's Love
Teaching children about God's love involves conveying the depth of God's affection and care through simple, relatable examples. The Bible provides a foundation for this by emphasizing the importance of love and obedience. In 1 John 4:9, we read that "God's love was revealed among us" through the sending of His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world [2]. This act is a powerful demonstration of God's love that can be shared with children.
Parents and caregivers are encouraged to model God's love by showing love and care to their children. Torrey's Topical Textbook highlights the duty of parents to love their children, bring them to Christ, and train them up for God [3]. This parental role is crucial in teaching children about God's love. By demonstrating love and care, parents reflect God's character and help children understand His love.
The Bible also teaches that loving God is closely tied to keeping His commandments. In 1 John 5:2, it is written that "we know that we love the children of God: when we love God and keep His commandments" [1]. This principle can be applied in teaching children that their love for God is demonstrated through obedience to His commands. According to Adam Clarke, our love for God's followers is a proof that we love God, and keeping God's commandments is a proof of our love for Him [4].
Simple examples can be used to illustrate God's love, such as the love of a parent for their child. Just as parents provide for, protect, and care for their children, God's love for us is greater and more enduring. The act of Jesus welcoming children (Mark 10:13-16) is another example that can be used to teach children about God's love and acceptance [5].
Sources
- I John “I John 5:2 (BSB) — By this we know that we love the children of God: when we love God and keep His commandments.”
- I John “I John 4:9 (BSB) — This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Parents — Receive their children from God -- Ge 33:5; 1Sa 1:27; Ps 127:3. Their duty to their children is To love them. -- Tit 2:4. To bring them to Christ. -- Mt 19:13,14. To train them up for God. -- Pr 22:6; Eph 6:4. To instruct them in God's word. -- De 4:9; 11:19; Isa 38:19. To tell them of God's judgments. -- Joe 1:3. To tell them of the miraculous works of God. -- Ex 10:2; Ps 78:4. To command them to obey God. -- De 32:46; 1Ch 28:9. To bless them. -- Ge 48:15; Heb 11:20. To pity them. -- Ps 103:13. To provide for them. -- Job 42:15; 2Co 12:14; 1Ti 5:8. To rule”
- 1 John (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on 1 John 5:2: By this we know that we love the children of God - Our love of God's followers is a proof that we love God. Our love to God is the cause why we love his children, and our keeping the commandments of God is the proof that we love him.”
- Mark (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Mark 10:13: It is looked upon as the indication of a kind and tender disposition to take notice of little children, and this was remarkable in our Lord Jesus, which is an encouragement not only to little children to apply themselves to Christ when they are very young, but to grown people, who are conscious to themselves of weakness and childishness, and of being, through manifold infirmities, helpless and useless, like little children. Here we have, I. Little children brought to Christ, Mar 10:13. Their parents, or whoever they were that had the nursing of them, brought them t”