Our kids have a lot coming at them each day, so what can we do to help them navigate their thoughts? We can give them the power to choose what they believe…but how?
I heard Jennie Allen speak about her new book, which is coming out on January 28th, called Get Out Of Your Head. It gives us the tools to choose where we allow our thoughts to go and what patterns we allow them to develop in our minds. Her questions have been helpful to me, so I started trying them out on my kids, and it is making a big difference. I am finding these questions are giving my kids the power to choose how they direct their thoughts. It’s training them to examine the thought rather than just accept it as truth.
Here are a couple of examples from this past week:
My daughter, who is in kindergarten, came home and told me, “So and so said, ‘I’m smarter than you.’”
Her brothers began to rally around her, and while that is sweet, it won’t ultimately diffuse the thought. So I took out Jennie’s four questions:
- What is the thought?
- Is it true?
- What does God say about it?
- Am I going to believe God?
In her kindergarten mind, Samantha had the power to choose, and in those moments, she was choosing more than, “I am right, and my friend is wrong.” She was choosing to believe what God says about her.
- What is the thought? “I’m not smart.”
- Is that true, are you actually not smart? “No, I’m smart.”
- Do you know what God says about you? “You are uniquely and wonderfully made.”
- Are you going to believe God? “Yes, I am, Mom.”
Here is another example:
As my son was playing basketball, a kid sarcastically asked if he was making a shot or a pass. As we drove home in the car, I asked him:
- What is the thought? “I’m not good at basketball.”
- Is it true? “Maybe.”
- What does God say? “He has given me everything I need.”
- Are you going to believe God? “Yes.”
Don’t give up on this one, as you practice it yourself, it will become more natural. If it falls flat, try again. We can give our kids the tools to build their thought patterns. We are building the pattern of choosing to believe our God, and it’s a skill that can train our eyes to see more clearly forever.
*Freebie alert! If you pre-order Jennie’s book before December 2nd, you can go to this link and get ten free beautiful scripture cards that would be beautiful around your home or to use as gifts!
HLLF,
