Christian Parenting for Gen Z & A: 16 Powerful Ways to Teach God’s Love That Never Fails
Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives (Psalm 90:14 NLT).
A lot of things have changed in this generation.
Our children and grandchildren have access to an astounding amount of information, yet there is a drought of wisdom. But with all this information, mankind has not changed. Our problems and challenges are still the same. Humans are anxious and stressed. Fearful. Self-righteous. We spend our lives seeking new and creative solutions to our problems while ignoring the heart condition that created those challenges in the first place. Ecclesiastes says, “…The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:8-9).
The eye will never be satisfied until it sees God and His love for us. The ear will never hear a philosophy of the world that brings peace. Only God’s love can satisfy. First John 2:16 says, “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.” Lust. Greed. Pride. Does that not describe our world today? It also describes the world in which we were raised and the generations upon generations that came before us. The only difference between our generation and the generation we are raising is our children’s early exposure to temptation.
Every person has basic needs for food, water, clothes, and shelter. But these things only provide for the physical needs we face. What about the needs of our soul and spirit? The need for love, respect, purpose, belonging? This generation is crying out for relationship, fellowship, and communication. (That’s why there is such an addiction to social media.) They crave fame—the desire to be known. But the root of these desires can only be fulfilled in and through God.
Independent of Him, our eyes are never satisfied. Our ears will not quit itching. God created every person with a void in their heart that only He can fill. Knowledge will not fill that void. Stuff will not fill the void. As parents, our job is to know God’s love for ourselves so we can love our children and introduce them to God’s kind of love. Our kids will be okay without those $400 pair of athletic shoes. They won’t be okay without love—real love—the kind that comes from God (1 John 4:10).
Everyone’s greatest need is to know the love of God. To know they are accepted in the beloved (Ephesians 1:6). To know God’s purpose for their life. These things are common to us all. And as Christian parents we can help our children discover them before they leave our home, through both our model and the way we structure their lives.
God’s kind of love is different from the “love” of this world. The world’s version of love is selfish and sensual. It doesn’t give unconditionally. It takes. God’s love is a gift. It isn’t earned or deserved (Romans 5:8). Neither does it fade with time or performance(Jeremiah 31:3). But it does have to be taught. If the only kind of love our children encounter is the selfish, conditional love of the world, they will think God loves the same way. Our children need to be able to discern the difference between God’s agape love and the counterfeit love the world offers. The best way I know to do that is with the love checklist from 1 Corinthians 13.
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails… (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).
Other kinds of love do exist (love for friends, sexual love, family love, self-love, etc.), but none are sustainable by themselves. They are too easily perverted. The 16 character traits of love from 1 Corinthians describe the way God loves us, and the way we ought to love each other. Let’s look at each one.
Love suffers long. It never gives up. It is patient and enduring. It sees and expresses God’s goodness over the long haul.
Love is kind. It is not just friendly or full of warm, fuzzy feelings. Love cares more for others than for self. It seeks the good of others.
Love does not envy. It does not want what it does not have. It is content and thankful.
Love does not parade itself. It is not boastful. It doesn’t require the limelight or try to draw attention to itself. It is willing to share the stage.
Love is not puffed up. It is not prideful and arrogant. It doesn’t think more highly of self than it should.
Love does not behave rudely. The Message Bible says love does not “force itself on others.” No one who says, “If you love me, you will…” is acting in love. True love does not force itself on anyone. It is not rude.
Love does not seek its own. It is not demanding or selfish. It does not insist on its own rights. It isn’t self-centered.
Love is not easily provoked. It isn’t touchy or resentful. It does not fly off the handle in anger.
Love thinks no evil. Love doesn’t keep record of wrong. It doesn’t hold people’s past over them or dream up ways of getting even. Love forgives.
Love does not rejoice in iniquity. It doesn’t reveal when others fail. It doesn’t celebrate evil or condone what God condemns. It takes no pleasure in injustice or unrighteousness.
Love rejoices in the truth. It takes pleasure in truth. It follows truth and rejoices when truth is made known.
Love bears all things. It never gives up, gives in, or gives out regardless of circumstance. When it can’t see a way out, love keeps going. When it has been hurt beyond measure, love chooses to keep loving.
Love believes all things. It keeps trusting God. It believes that God’s Word is true, and that He is faithful to perform His Word. Love knows it is not our job to change people. It’s our job to be consistent; to love them and share the truth believing that God will change them.
Love hopes all things. The Message Bible says it always looks for the best. It doesn’t ignore the bad but strives to find the good in every circumstance. No matter what someone has done or how they have failed, if they know Jesus, there is still good. And if they don’t know Jesus but are still breathing, there is still time. Don’t give up hope.
Love endures all things. It never looks back or considers quitting. Love keeps going until the end.
Love never fails. It never dies. You may kill other kinds of love, but God’s love always rises from the dead. It does not change or wear out. It can be trusted.
This is the way God loves us. And because His love resides in us, this is how we ought to love each other. Teaching this to your children will not only protect them from counterfeit loves but will help them love their own families when they leave your home.
