Discouragement

A case study found that 12 percent of participants reported fear of receiving feedback. Sometimes hearing the hard thing hurts! Kids experience this too. Kids can have strong reactions when they’re told that they aren’t doing something right. Sometimes the Bible can feel overwhelming to kids because they might view it as a list of things they are doing wrong. They may feel discouraged because it seems there are so many things to work on or ways to do better. This discouragement can lead to kids being standoffish about the message or unwilling to hear the truth. Help kids see that God’s Word is about how much He loves us and seeks out a relationship with us—it isn’t about a list of dos and don’ts. When kids seem discouraged or disinterested, point them toward how awesome Jesus is.

Here’s how we discussed this topic and how you can discuss it at home: 

Discuss: Does following God and learning about what He wants us to do ever feel hard?

Discuss: What might frustrate someone about trying to follow God?

Say: Following God isn’t always easy. Sometimes learning about God and His message can feel confusing and overwhelming. It may make us realize ways we act that we don’t like. That doesn’t always feel good. We may start thinking of the Bible as a list of do’s and do not’s, and we can be discouraged that we can’t do it all. The most important thing we can remember is that God loves us. The ultimate message of the Bible is that He wants a relationship with us. He wants the best for us, but He doesn’t ask us to do everything on our own. He gives us the Holy Spirit to help us grow closer to Him and become more like Him. Galatians 6:9 says: And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.