Raising a Christian Child

I don't know much about raising children. I only have one, and she's barely three years old.

But here's what I do know:

First, parenting and prayer go hand in hand. If you're trying to raise your child without God's help, you're rolling a die weighted against you. His blessings go a long way to making parenting easier. He can give you patience when you have none, wisdom where you need it most, and peace when things happen outside of your control.

Second, parenting is about modelling. You must show your child the Christian life you hope that he or she lives. You can't be a hypocrite because your child will quickly recognize what loopholes you create for yourself. Your values will become his/her values, so make sure that you do everything thoughtfully and deliberately.

Third, parenting is about positive attitude. Encourage your child to repeat good habits by making those habits happy and enjoyable. There are things we do in the Coptic Church that are not easy for a child: take communion from a bearded man in black; sit still and silent through a three-hour liturgy; fast inketa3eey before communion; and so much more! If you put in your mind that those things are exciting and fun, you can pass that attitude on to your children.

Our church is exciting and fun. It's nice to know that you can do some amazing things :). That you don't actually "dieee" if you don't have a cup of coffee in the morning. That you can pray for an entire day on Good Friday, and all night for Abu Ghalamsis. It's not about one-upping someone else; it's about one-upping yourself, pushing yourself--disciplining your body and bringing it into subjection... (1 Corinthians 9:27a).