Start Small, Start Now

What do you want to teach your kids? If you’re anything like me, the answer grows longer every day. We desire to teach our kids how to defend their faith or engage their own doubts. We yearn to give our children a healthy understanding of technology and equip them to maneuver a world of social media and Artificial Intelligence. Buzzwords like gender identity, sexuality, justice, and many more weigh on our minds as we seek to prepare our kids for the future ahead.

Beyond hot-button issues, we also long to teach our children knowledge of God’s Word—yet even the riches found in Scripture can overwhelm our limited ability. The passage we read at the kitchen table floods us with options: should we highlight the attributes of God, point to the traces of Jesus, or narrow in on the nature of man? Podcasts, sermons, and books fill us with information we want to impart to our children, but our exhausted minds often don’t know how. It feels like too much. 

In response, many of us spend our time continuously searching for a new children’s book, curriculum, or video series that will check every box. I know the feeling because I’ve felt the same exhaustion and fear. But instead of scrambling for another deep-dive resource or wilting in defeat, I invite us to instead embrace a simple phrase to stick with us throughout our days of motherhood: start small and start now. 

Everything Starts with a Seed 

Take a look around this earth and you’ll discover everything holds its beginnings in the small. The mighty maple outside our window began its own life tucked in the protective covering of a whirligig. The tall stalks of corn in the fields began as kernels, the blue jay singing on our tree once fit inside an egg, and even the home that warms us started as just a few timber frames. 

These examples echo the reality of our own faith and sanctification. That tiny seed of faith that God planted in us at five years old, twenty years old, or even thirty-five years old started small, too. We didn’t come to our understanding of the character of God, atonement, or how the Bible applies to cultural issues overnight. The knowledge of God came through the small seeds of our parents, pastors, or teachers who were used by the Holy Spirit to grow us little by little. Paul explains we are all moving from one degree of glory to another, and this is true for our own children as well.[1]      

Just like us, our children can grow from the tiny seeds we plant. Realizing this frees us from feeling like we must exegete the entire chapter of Exodus 2 when we read it aloud at the table. Instead, we can direct our kids to one small piece of its beauty, knowing the Holy Spirit will continue to use that chapter to build understanding in our kids for every year to come. Similarly, we need not give an exhaustive explanation of gender theory to our toddler all at once, but we can simply exclaim, “God made you a boy and that’s an incredible gift!” The prophet Zechariah challenged the Israelites not to despise the day of small things.[2] So too, we can patiently wait on the Spirit and give our small offerings each day to our children, entrusting the Lord will reap the harvest.[3] 

The Best Time to Start Is Now

Not only can we start discipling in the small, but we can also start right now. Too often, we feel immobilized by the desire to teach everything perfectly. On big issues like sex, race, theology, or apologetics, we might fear we’ll botch the delivery. Consequently, we often run towards children’s resources that seem to have the perfect package of information that will stick. While these resources provide immense help, we must remember we don’t need every duck in a row in order to start teaching our children. 

The Bible instructs us to speak about God’s commandments when we sit and we rise—even before we’ve crafted a great speech or lesson.[4] If something lays heavy on your heart, speak a small word to your kids now, no matter their age. When you finish a great podcast on Artificial Intelligence, why not start up a conversation with your kids at the dinner table? The dialogue doesn’t have to be extensive or polished. It doesn’t even need to be complete. A simple question like “What’s the difference between a robot and a human?” can spark imagination, laughter, and thought. We need not always dive into every theological and cultural implication in between our mashed potatoes; we need only plant and tend the little seeds. 

Some topics may require deeper study from us in different seasons as parents. Depending on our specific kids and struggles, we might find formal training, books, and teaching series will hold an important place in our homes. Yet we can’t let these resources distract us from the important tasks we can do right now. If you find yourself encouraged by a theological concept in a book or a podcast, share it today. Invite your kids along with you as you learn. They won’t understand it all right now, but you’ll be planting one more seed to blossom as they grow. 

The Work of the Spirit 

Ultimately, all of us moms must entrust the discipleship of our children to the Holy Spirit. He guides and directs his sheep and builds their knowledge and understanding of God. The good work he begins will find its completion.[5] Though this process isn’t immediate—it’s a long and patient work that will continue our entire lives—we can trust this work in our children. We don’t have to run ourselves ragged with all we must teach. Instead, we can start small and start now—planting little seeds of knowledge in our children that the Spirit can use to grow mighty trees of faithfulness.  

[1] 2 Cor. 3:18

[2] Zech. 4:10

[3] Gal. 6:9

[4] Deut. 6:7

[5] Phil. 1:6