Easier Said Than Done

By Stephen Nogueras

Admit it. We’ve all done it. You set goals for change and for the first six days you do great! You don’t eat junk food, you wake up at 5:00 a.m. and go to bed at 9 p.m. – then all of a sudden you stop. It’s easy to say you’ll do something, but a lot harder to put actions behind those words.

If it’s difficult to practice self-control as an adult, how can we teach the saved children in our ministries to live according to God’s Word? Here are three things you can do.

Teach them about the Holy Spirit.

God promises in Scripture that His Spirit will be there to help, guide, and convict those who believe in Him. Jesus specifically said that the Holy Spirit is the Helper, the One who helps you do what’s right. Jesus said, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26). He is with you to convict you of sin and help you do the right thing.

Teach them by example.

You can show the kids in your ministry how to live God’s way by doing it yourself. Lead the kids by example. Paul wrote to his young pastor friend Timothy, “…set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). Jesus said, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). If you want to see the children in your ministry living for God, the best way to do that is to show them how. Be the person you want them to be as they walk with Christ. Only then can you, like Paul, say, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).

Teach them to memorize Scripture.

The psalmist wrote, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments. I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11). It’s no mystery that studying and memorizing God’s Word is one of the best ways to fight against sin and temptation. Jesus used Scripture when He was tempted in the wilderness by Satan and won. Why? He won because He knew and believed God’s Word. God’s Word is so powerful that Paul even called it the “Sword of the Spirit.” Teach the saved children in your ministry that they can fight against sin and temptation and win when they study and memorize Scripture.

It’s clearly stated all over Scripture that God commands us to put actions behind our words. If you apply this to your life and ministry, you will be an encouragement and example to everyone around you, especially the children you teach, showing that you truly are a child of God and transformed by His Spirit. It’s easier said than done, but with God’s empowerment, you can be who God has called you to be, rather than just talking about it.