“A man's gift makes room for
him and brings him before great men” Proverbs18:16
One of the things that were impressed upon my heart at the beginning of this year is the need for parents to help their children to discover their God-given gifts and talents. We need to train our children to use their gifts for the glory of God and to fulfil God’s purposes for their lives.
The main task that we have as parents is to love and nurture our children into responsible adults and to help them realise their potentials. Gifts represent their abilities, talents, capacity and skills. It is what they have in their hands to trade for money, fulfil their purposes and bring glory to God.
When you work with your child to develop his/her talent, you are at the same time building his/her character as he/she acquires the necessary qualities for success whilst working on his/her talent. You will teach them how to persevere – the ability to focus and not give up on their passions or lose interest in what they do. Successful people love what they are doing and they do not give up until they reach their goals. We have to teach them the “I can” and “I will” attitude.
We need to spend time with our children to connect with them to notice their interests, likes and dislikes. For the older ones, we need to teach them how to identify their gifts or talents. For example, I have told my 13 year old daughter that she should take note when people say she is very good at specific things. She also needs to take note of the things she particularly likes to do.
It
is good practice to expose your children to a wide range of interests. Allow
them to take part in different activities. However as they grow older, we
should avoid putting them into too many activities and let me them concentrate on
areas where they have shown true excellence or advanced ability.
When you help your child to identify and develop their gifts, they will appreciate their own uniqueness and develop a healthy self-esteem. Assist your children to identify and develop their talents. Provide them with the resources they need to pursue their interests. Accept their uniqueness. Encourage their enthusiasm. Help them to be the best they can by discovering their true potential.
Above
all, we should also pray for our children regularly and ask God to reveal their
gifts and purposes to you. From
experience, I know that God reveals things to us when we pray for our children
because He is faithful. He might not
tell you everything about their lives but He will reveal some to you.
We
need to pray that they will not be lazy because perfection comes with
practice. We need to pray against
distractions or unhealthy relationships because wrong associations can hinder
them from achieving their purpose. As
they grow older, they also need to know God for themselves because He is their
source and He created them in His own image.
They can only find their true identity in Him.
I
pray that God will fill your children with true wisdom, knowledge and
understanding and they will be extraordinary children in Jesus name.
Shalom,
Dupe Makinde
www.Godsgracefoundation.org
