Given to Give
Buy a special treat that can be shared—cookies, candy, small toys, etc.—that your children would like and give it to one child. (Talk with him privately before giving it and make sure he is willing to share it.) As you give it to him, ask, “If I give you a gift, will you share it with your siblings?” When he says, “yes,” give him the gift. Let him share it with the others and enjoy the treat together.
We just celebrated Christmas last month. It is a wonderful time when we give and receive gifts. When we receive a gift, we think of something that is for us, maybe a new toy or game or something else we wanted. But spiritual gifts are not for us to keep for ourselves. They are for us to share with others. Did you know that God gives each of us a gift that He expects us to share with others? A spiritual gift is a special ability given by God to help us serve God and others.
Different, but United
Write body parts on slips of paper and allow the children to pick one (or two)—nose, eye, hand, foot, heart, etc. Pass out construction or copy paper and markers (or pencils) and ask them to draw a “person” with the body part(s) they picked. Show the pictures and talk about how hard it would be to get around, eat, pick up things, etc., if you were just one part.
Our bodies need all the parts God designed so we can function and live well. The body of Christ (followers of Christ) needs many different gifts to function well. The Holy Spirit gives different gifts to different people. Just as it would be hard for a giant eyeball to walk, it will be hard for God’s body to accomplish things if we are all the same. We don’t all have the same spiritual gift, but we can all unite and work together (like a body does) to serve God and others.
Working Together
Pick a family project and put it on the calendar. (I know it’s HARD to find time, but it is important to make service projects a priority.)
God gives us spiritual gifts to serve others. The best way to find out your spiritual gift is to serve and see what you enjoy doing. Give your children opportunities to serve, and you will see them develop their spiritual gifts—of mercy, helps, encouragement, giving, etc.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
– Join with another family to make and take cards to a nursing home. (Call for the best time to visit.)
– Collect gently used toys to donate to a shelter or relief agency.
– Do chores to make money to buy fast food gift cards to give to homeless people.
– Plan and host a party with neighborhood children to share the gospel story.
– Organize a food drive for a family in need and plan what to ask others to bring each week for the next few weeks.