Practical Faith
What does it mean, really, to trust God, to “have faith”? One opportunity we have as Real World Parents is to show our kids exactly what trusting God looks like, both in our daily lives and in the ways we talk with them about walking in God’s wisdom.
We’re pulling this week’s talking points from Proverbs 3:1-12, which mostly gets specific about what it means to trust God in some very practical ways. These classic wisdom verses reveal wise actions we can take and the payoff that follows those actions.
Of course, the most powerful wisdom classroom our children have is to see how wisdom and foolishness pays off in our lives, how our choices to trust God in specific ways lead to success, failure, joy, or fear in our families.
We can solidify that teaching by opening up with them about the wisdom choices we’re facing, how we’re processing those choices as believers in Jesus, and how we’re processing what comes next. Hopefully a few of these questions from Proverbs 3 will help keep that conversation going. Consider reading those 12 verses together sometime as part of the conversation.
Talking Points
- When you think of trusting God, what do you picture doing? Is that just about not worrying, or are there some real, practical things we do when we are trying to trust God more? [Parent: Suggest that prayer, obedience, and giving thanks are all trust actions—and there are many others.]
- According to Proverbs 3:1, one practical way we can trust God is to remember His teaching and His commands. What are some good ways we can remember God’s teaching and instruction to us?
- Is it hard for you to remember or memorize God’s teaching? Why or why not? How does it help?
- Proverbs 3:2 tells us that God’s Word has the power to prolong our lives and lead us into prosperity. What are some practical, real-world ways that remembering and obeying God’s Word could do those things?
- What do you think it might mean to hold on to love and faithfulness—to the point that you tattoo them on your heart? How could we do that in a real way?
- How could loving God and others with His kind of love—the unselfish kind—and being faithful to Him and His Word and other people lead to our having a good reputation? What does it matter if we have a good reputation?
- Do you ever hear the message in your world that you should trust yourself first or trust your feelings most? What’s wrong with that message?
- Proverbs 3:5 tells us not to trust our own understanding of life, but to trust God instead. Can you think of a time when you had to make a choice between what made the most sense to you—and obeying what God said? [Parent: Be willing to open up about such a time in your life.]
- Is there such a thing as “personal wisdom” that doesn’t come from God? If so, where would it come from?
- Proverbs 3:7 says we should not be wise in our own eyes. Why would God’s wisdom be so much better than our own “personal” wisdom?
- Why would living in God’s wisdom lead to better health than living in our own apart from His?
- What are some practical ways that we should trust in God with our money? [Parent: To give our money away to church or those in need is an act of faith, believing that God will still meet our own needs.]
- What is the difference between responding to discipline as a person who trusts God and responding as someone who doesn’t trust Him? How does it feel different? How does it look different on the outside?
- Do you really believe God’s discipline in your life—even through your parents—is a sign that He cares about you? Why or why not? What is a practical way you can show that? [Parent: It may be helpful for you to be honest about a time when God disciplined you through your circumstances or an authority in your life—and how your attitude reflected trusting God or not.]
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