Many of you who read this are young dads or moms. I hope you find this helpful.

Ask this question in front of a group of reformed Christians:  what is the nature of man? The initial response (although not always I must admit), is that man is depraved. No problem with that.  It’s a good start.  Yet man was also created in the image of God and this is crucially important for our children to understand.

I acknowledge that there is no merit in being image bearers; however in raising children, it is imperative that they have a healthy  (and I emphasize Healthy!) grasp of their beauty, dignity, value and worth before and from God.   Just like our righteousness received in Christ,  it is an alien dignity, an impartation from God himself; A gift to be acknowledged through a humble repentance that recognizes the fall that “darkened” that image and now requires a Savior to truly restore the imago dei.  Without this understanding of the genesis of our dignity, all other views lead only to conceit and ultimately to despair.  One goal as parents is to equip your children to understand that the dignity they have is only a “signpost”  directing their hearts to their Creator God.

As soon as my children were toddlers, I would tuck them into bed at night (an important practice!) and ask them these questions (with infinite variations):

1.  Who made you?

2.  Does God make any mistakes?

3.  Did you chose your birth date, family, or name?

4.  Did you know that God saved mom and dad so that you could hear the good news of Jesus Christ? What if you were born in Mozambique? What would it be like?

Then I would pray for them that they would they would trust Jesus with their lives and not die (a practice of Spurgeon’s mother)…

There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations – these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. CS Lewis, The Weight of Glory (emphasis his)

Psalm 8:4-6 What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet..

Psalm 139:14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

The goal for my kids is not the ungodly and conceited form of self-esteem that is becoming so prevalent in the Millenial generation; But a deep humility and gratitude towards a loving God that ultimately produces a bowing of their little hearts before Him in repentance and trust.