Encouraging Our Kids to Dream Big, God-Sized Dreams
When our children are born, it’s natural for us to start dreaming about what their life might look like. Will they be a teacher, a basketball player, an artist, a scientist, or a doctor? Will they have children of their own? But, the truth is that nothing compares to the plans that God has for them. His dreams are far bigger — and better — than we can even imagine. And it’s our job, as parents and caretakers, to encourage our kids to dream big dreams WITH God to help live out the life He created them for.
As adults, our dreams are often limited because we consider all of the “cons” and tend to be pessimistic when it comes to what is realistic — “Oh, I don’t have time for that” or “I don’t have the skills necessary for that”. But for kids, they don’t naturally censor things so they can dream BIG. We must teach them that no dream is too big for God. By doing this, it puts their focus on Him and His abilities, rather than their own. Big dreams push them out of their comfort zone and get them creatively thinking. Our big ideas — dreams — are often placed in our minds for a reason, steering us in a certain direction. Help your little ones explore what God has created them for!
So, how do we encourage our kids to dream big, God-sized dreams? Here are a few ideas to get you started!
Help Them to Truly Know God
In order to hear from Him and hear what dreams He has for us, we must first know Him. Think of it like a seed planted in the ground. This seed needs to be watered and cared for in order for it to grow. So be sure to help encourage your kids to have a relationship with God, to help grow their spiritual relationship. Encourage prayer, Bible reading, and worship time in your home. This is what opens the door to truly hearing God.
Help Identify Their Passions
We are each given passions for a reason, so help your child recognize them and brainstorm what they could potentially do with those passions. Sit down together and make a list. Does your child love to bake? Encourage them to make cookies and deliver them to family, friends, and neighbors. Do they love to read? Help collect used books for a local homeless shelter.
Explore New Interests
Foster an environment that encourages them to be creative and feel safe to try new things. This is how children learn to express themselves. This is how big dreams grow!
Start Setting Goals
Remember, goals are dreams with a purpose. Once you’ve identified a few passions and interests, create goals around them. You can even include the entire family in these goals. This is an excellent life goal that your child will thank you for some day!
Make it Visual
Kids are visual, so make this fun! Print our downloadable PDF, My Big Dream, and encourage them to write out their dreams and draw a picture to accompany it. Hang them in their room as a daily reminder. An added bonus is that these will be fun to look back on when they’re older.
Sometimes following God’s big dreams for us can be scary because they take us out of our comfort zone. It’s important that we talk to our kids about our own dreams, the dreams that God has planted in our hearts, and how we moved toward them — no matter how scary or intimidating they may have been at the time. Remind them that NO dream is TOO big for God!
At Bible2School, we focus on teaching children Biblical truth because we truly believe this is the foundation of life. Once children know they are truly loved by God, they can start to have big dreams for themselves! Learn more about our program and how you can get involved!
Relevant Bible Verses
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has conceived the things God has prepared for those who love Him.”
– 1 Corinthians 2:9
“The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.”
– Psalm 138:8
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