There are 891 quotes on Good Reads – the secular book recommendation website – about the purpose of life. The Dalai Lama says be happy. Someone called Steve Maraboli says live out your greatest self. Ursula K. Le Guin doesn’t believe in purpose at all, as human life is like grass blowing in the wind.
Our children are living in a world that is catechizing them from every angle except the truth.
We need to catechize truth. One of the ways we can do that is through Christian life. As we live out God’s word, our children learn the truth through a living visual aid. Introduce them to the lives of other Christians through the help of Christian literature. Christian biographies will help you and your family with faith building.
The ‘Do Great Things for God’ series has a new title on Susannah Spurgeon, subtitled: The Pastor’s Wife Who Did Not Let Sickness Stop Her (ISBN: 978 1 784 989 750). The same author, Mary Mohler, has also written a new adult title on Susannah Spurgeon: Lessons for a Life of Joyful Eagerness in Christ (ISBN 978 1 527 109 919). Susannah also features in Ten Girls Who Made a Difference by Irene Howat (ISBN 978 1 857 927 764). So it might be a good idea to have a mini book club with your kids by picking a Christian character about whom there are books for adults and children.
Charles Spurgeon is covered in the ‘Little Lights’ series: Who is the Greatest (ISBN 978 1 527 103 931), and in the ‘Trailblazer’ series: Prince of Preachers (ISBN 978 1 781 915 288). Add to that the book by Zack Erswine, Spurgeon’s Sorrows (ISBN 978 1 781 915 387) and the whole family can appreciate something about Spurgeon’s life and challenges.
Try some morning devotions with the adults in the family reading Spurgeon’s Chequebook of the Bank of Faith and younger children reading the paraphrased editions, of God’s God’s Promises Kept and More Promises Kept. (ISBN: 978 1 527 106 185 and 978 1 527 106 192). There is also a great series of books by Tony Hutter entitled 52 Spurgeon Stories for Children (ISBN: 978 1 846 252 884; 978 1 846 254 451; 978 1 846 254 062 and 978 1 846 253 577).
These lives and books catechize truth to us and our families as they declare the truth that humanity’s chief purpose is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
