Motivation Matters

This title comes from a simple sentence in chapter 4 of Zach Neese’s book How to Worship a King. It motivated me to ask how can we teach our kids to go to church out of a love for God instead of completing an act of appeasing God?

If we are honest, many of us would admit we attend church because it is where we are supposed to be. Neese, however, writes how worship is not the act of going to church or singing or, frankly, most of the things we have been taught to associate with the word worship. It is simply giving God His worth. It is not about human worth. In fact, true worship leaves US completely out of the equation. This is the value author Kathleen Chapman says in her book, Teaching Kids Authentic Worship. (Italicize like other book above).

Throughout the years, I have heard many reasons for diligence in attending church with young children such as:

- Lead by example

- Keep them in church and the good will rub off on them

- They will be around other kids from families with similar values

- The more they are there, the more they learn

- The church will teach them

I have never heard the real reason: So they will fall in love with God.

These very valid reasons will instill the messages:

- Make God a part of your routine

- Respect = quiet, uncomfortable sitting

- Church is important to my parents

- God asked us to go to church so we do

Where is the value: ‘Falling in love with Jesus our Savior is the greatest experience of your whole life.”

Let me suggest a simple answer to the question I posed at the beginning: Take your kids to church to know God more.

Chapman lives by and frequently shares the mantra, “You cannot worship someone you don’t love and you cannot love someone you don’t know.”

So let’s take our kids to church to KNOW GOD MORE.

If the desired end result is a worship relationship with Christ, which is the purpose for which we were created, than according to Chapman, it begins with knowing. Knowing everything we can about our amazing God and fueling the desire to always be learning more. How can we connect this concept to attending church for our kids? Let me suggest three ways:

1. On the way to church, challenge the family to learn something new about God.

2. On the way home or over lunch, inquire with each family member what they learned about God.

3. Pray together using the words: Thank you, God, for showing us something new about You today. Please let it sink into our hearts and help us to love you more so we can grow to worship you all the time.

If you already live this value, how do you do it? Do you begin with the end in mind? Live with the expectation it will just happen over time or take intentional actions toward this end desire? Please share.

How to Worship a King, Zach Neese

Teaching Kids Authentic Worship, Kathleen Chapman of kathleenchapman.com