As we move from a knowledge-hungry world to one saturated with information, it is more important than ever to stop teaching children lots of memorized facts—but instead, instill them with the ability to discern information with wisdom. I also believe that children with learning challenges and disabilities can cultivate discernment, especially as we show them through our examples and teach them to lean into the Holy Spirit for help.
“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ.” Philippians 1:9-10
Here are five simple tips for teaching discernment to your child in an information-saturated world:
Talk it Out
Talk with your children and teach them the foundational God-established truth in God’s word, examples of faithful Christians, and historical documents based on a biblical foundation. We should set this foundation in our homes—frequently reminding our children when we do our daily lessons. Taking the time to talk about truth helps children to become aware of its existence and importance as a basis for knowledge and discernment.
Live it Out
Our children learn more through how we live versus what we say. They must see us seeking truth and basing our decisions on it if we want them to do the same. Therefore, as parents, we need to prioritize discernment in our lives if we want our children to value it enough to pursue it, use it, and live by it.
Point it Out
Everywhere we turn, there are examples we can pull from to point out discernment, or lack thereof, to our children—family relationships, movies, books, social media posts, world events, and so many other things. We need to take advantage of these opportunities and point out how others are using, or not using, discernment, so our children can gain an understanding of this concept and how it is experienced in everyday life.
Call it Out
As your children make daily decisions based on the information they are processing, they will practice discernment. When they discern well, recognize and commend them for using it to make a wise decision. When they struggle, help them see how their lack of discernment led to a less desirable outcome. Instructing your child based on their life circumstances helps them to internalize the need to apply this discipline to work against their natural tendencies to believe and follow faulty thinking.
Pray it Out
Pray for your children to use and live by discernment. To seek help from the Holy Spirit to see the truth and “the way they should go” in every situation. Prayer is important at every stage of their education. Teaching our children and parenting them in truth have a limited range in our children’s lives, but God’s range to reach them, teach them, and guide them is boundless. Bring your request that your child lives a discerning life before the Lord. This is a prayer He desires to answer.
I am praying with you and for you and your children in accordance with this truth from Isaiah 11 as you pursue to teach discernment and live by it in your homes empowered by God’s Spirit:
“The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him,
The Spirit of Wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit of Counsel and Might,
The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.
His delight is in the fear of the Lord,
And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes,
Nor decide by the hearing of His ears;”
This guest blog is written Peggy Ployhar is the Founder & CEO of SPED Homeschool as well as the host of the weekly live broadcast, Empowering Homeschool Conversations that you can watch on the SPED Homeschool YouTube channel or download from your favorite podcasting platform.
