Teach Godly Character to Kids Now with the Fruit of the Spirit
Unlock the secrets to raising compassionate, virtuous children with this practical guide to developing godly character in kids using the Fruit of the Spirit.
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As a mother, there is so much to think about when raising kids. I sometimes lose sight of what’s most important.
As a Christian mother, raising godly children should be our #1 priority. They should be a light and an example of how Jesus treated people on Earth.
Building godly character in our kids is the key to raising godly children.
So, if we want our children to have godly character, we must make God a part of our everyday experiences. We must teach our kids diligently to see God in all aspects of life.
This can be done through simple, age-appropriate activities and discussions about the Fruit of the spirit!
[Read Raising Godly Children: Build a Strong Faith Foundation to go back to the basics.]
What is Godly Character?
Many characteristics can be considered when thinking about godly character. The most obvious, and arguably most important, are the 9 fruits of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23.
The Fruit of the Spirit are:
Let’s dive into how to teach these to our children!
[Read 5-Step Simple Morning Routine for Stay-at-Home Moms to be the best version of yourself for your littles.]
Develop Godly Character in Kids with the Fruit of the Spirit
How do we develop godly character in our children using the Fruit of the Spirit?
Well, here are some activities that will make it fun and interesting for kiddos:
- Read Bible stories
- Sing songs
- Watch video lessons
- Engage in activities
- Have discussions
Read Bible Stories
Let’s get started with building godly character in our kids!
First, grab your child’s Bible as we find stories that teach each Fruit of the Spirit.
My favorite Bibles I’ve read with my 4 year old twins are The Read and Share Toddler Bible, and The Beginner’s Bible. The pictures are beautiful and the stories are written perfectly for young children.
Here are some Bible stories with the title and page references from The Beginner’s Bible that are related to each Fruit of the Spirit.
- Love – Matthew 9:18-26 (Two Miracles, Page 340)
- Joy – Luke 2:8-20 (Shepherds Visit, Page 277)
- Peace – Matthew 8:23-27 (Jesus Calms the Storm, Page 334)
- Patience – Genesis 18; 21 (The Visitors, Page 46)
- Kindness – Luke 10:25-37 (The Good Samaritan, Page 379)
- Goodness – Esther 1-10 (The Brave Queen, Page 240)
- Faithfulness – 1 Samuel 16:14-23; 18-20 (Best Friends, Page 181)
- Gentleness – Luke 10:38-42 (Mary and Martha, Page 385)
- Self-Control – Genesis 42-46 (Joseph Saves His Family, Page 86)
Sing Songs
Music is like a magical key that unlocks our brains and helps us remember things, especially if the song is catchy!
Plus, singing involves more senses than just our brain. We use our voice, ears, eyes (if it’s a music video), and body (if there are hand motions)!
It’s like a whole-body experience, which further locks in the information we’re trying to teach!
So, here are songs related to each Fruit of the Spirit:
- Love – Jesus Loves Me
- Joy – I’ve Got the Joy Joy Joy Joy Down in My Heart
- Peace – Northview Kids – Peace Like a River
- Patience – The Fruit of the Spirit: Patience (Herbert the Snail)
- Kindness – [Kids Worship] Give a Little Kindness
- Goodness – Music Machine: The Fruit of the Spirit
- Faithfulness – Cheeky Pandas | The Faithfulness Song
- Gentleness – Cheeky Pandas | The Gentleness Song
- Self-Control – Cheeky Pandas | The Self-Control Song
Watch Video Lessons
Videos are a great way to breakdown complex topics. It brings the lessons to life!
All of the videos below were created by Minno Kids. They are 5-minute family devotionals about the Fruit of the Spirit.
I love that each video includes discussion questions, action items, and a prayer!
- Love – What is Love?
- Joy – Joy for Kids
- Peace – Peace for Kids
- Patience – How to Be Patient
- Kindness – How to Be Kind to Others
- Goodness – Choosing Right vs. Wrong
- Faithfulness – How to Be Faithful
- Gentleness – Examples of Gentleness
- Self-Control – Learning Self-Control
[Read How to Reduce Screen Time for Preschoolers if your little one’s screen addiction is out of control.]
Engage in Activities
Hands-on activities add another layer to further drive home each lesson. These activities will make teaching the Fruit of the Spirit and godly character more engaging and memorable for kiddos.
Here are some activity ideas related to each Fruit of the Spirit:
- Love – Help a sick/hurt stuffed animal
- Joy – Go on a nature walk and find things that God made
- Peace – Compare and contrast how a whole orange (with the peel) floats in water, but a peeled orange sinks
- Patience – Taste test unripe fruit vs. ripe fruit
- Kindness – Surprise a family member or friend with a random act of kindness
- Goodness – Cut and paste pictures from a magazine onto a poster board organized by items that are “right” and “wrong” to eat
- Faithfulness – Have your children do an obstacle course while they are stuck together via a faithfulness shirt
- Gentleness – Collect items from nature that are soft/smooth “gentle” and hard “rough”
- Self-Control – Give your child some candy, but tell them they can only eat X amount
Have Discussions
Of course we can’t just read the Bible stories, sing the songs, watch the videos, and do the activities. We have to actually talk about it too!
This is how godly character is developed, by connecting all the dots!
Here are some tips when discussing each Fruit of the Spirit:
- Be animated and enthusiastic
- Ask open-ended comprehension questions
- Relate it to real life experiences
- Have fun with it!
[Read How to Get Kids to Pick Up Toys (2-4 years old) for some tricks to get kids to do what you want!]
Join the Life with Littles Club!
Discover how to find joy in homemaking, have a peaceful home, and inspire your littles to learn!
Building Godly Character Made Simple!
With these simple activity ideas, we can instill godly character in our kids using the Fruit of the Spirit!
Remember, godly character is cultivated over time.
We should revisit these concepts often with our children in order to deepen their understanding and increase the likelihood that they will be put into action!
Be sure to pin these ideas for later!
