Hey disciple-making parents! What do you think your kid is nervous about this year? Probably not the pencils and folders, but the things that actually matter, like a new teacher and a new set of challenges. Will their friends still be their friends? Will they be good at what’s in front of them? This month’s discussion touches on three things your kid needs as they walk into a new year: courage, kindness, and effort.
Bible Focus
Galatians 6:9 (ESV) – “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
Devotional Thoughts
A new school year asks a lot of a kid all at once. Walking into a new room takes courage. Noticing who’s sitting alone takes kindness. And trying hard on something unfamiliar, then trying again when the first week doesn’t go so well, takes diligence. That’s three different jobs before the first day is even over.
Paul’s words to the Galatians land right in the middle of that. Don’t grow weary of doing good. Not just once. Not just when it’s easy. Keep going, because the harvest comes in due season, not right away. That’s true for the kid working up the courage to try out for a team. It’s true for the kid choosing to be kind to someone new, even when it’s not returned right away. And it’s true for the kid who studies hard and doesn’t see the grade improve overnight.
Kids give up fast when effort doesn’t pay off immediately. So do adults, right? Paul’s promise isn’t that doing good is easy. It’s that it’s worth it, even when the reward is slow to show up.
Your child doesn’t need three different pep talks this year. They need one truth applied in three ways: don’t give up, whether it’s being brave, being kind, or trying your best.
Discussion Questions
What’s one thing you’re excited about this year? What’s one thing that makes you nervous?
Paul says not to grow weary of doing good. What’s something good that’s hard for you to keep doing?
Is there someone at school who might need a friend? What would it look like to keep being kind to them, even if it takes a while for them to notice?
What’s something you’ll have to try hard at this year, even if you don’t see it pay off right away?
Try This
On the first night of school this week, have everyone share one way they’ll try to be brave, one way they’ll try to be kind, and one thing they’ll try their best at this year. Write it down somewhere you’ll see it again in a month, and check back in to see how it’s going, remembering that the harvest comes in due season.
Family Prayer
God, thank You for Your promise that doing good is never wasted. Help each of us not grow weary this year, whether it’s being brave to try something new, being kind to someone who needs a friend, or working hard even when it’s slow going. Amen.
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