Everyone has times in life when something significant happens! One of life's joys is the occasional, important, meaningful time when a special event occurs that affects or alters one's life. These occasions are different for every individual. For some of us, capturing these special times is just a natural occurrence. For others, as we grow older, it's easy to let these times slip into our past.
Scriptural Spiritual Milestones
Scripture shows us the significance of celebrating the spiritual steps that occur in daily life. God's people set aside the time and energy to highlight the spiritual passages in their lives. Jesus' first introduction to the public and His first miracle occurred during a family event which held spiritual value. He blessed the wedding at Cana as a new family began their journey of dependence upon God. We can follow their example by experiencing these events in our own lives.
Throughout Israel's history, numerous events held such great importance that the Lord designated them as celebrations, festivals, and days of faith practice to commemorate spiritual milestones. In doing so, He established a time when parents could highlight spiritual milestones for their family, both personal and extended. From the Passover (which celebrated the time Israel survived the plagues) to the Jewish celebration of a child's Bar or Bat Mitzvah (the recognition of a child's progression into adulthood), events held spiritual significance. Each one involved the family in the celebration of their significance as persons of God. The example that God gave us is one that is worthy of repetition, even in today's busy family.
Personal Spiritual Milestones
What are some of the significant spiritual experiences or milestones in your life? You may have been involved in some of these.
attending church for the first time
celebrating Jesus' birth (Christmas) and resurrection (Easter) with church friends
learning various Bible elements (names of the books, disciple's names, Paul's missionary journeys)
becoming aware of and discussing your spiritual condition
making a personal, individual decision to commit your life to Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord
obeying Jesus' instruction by following Him in baptism
beginning your faith walk by studying God's Word
becoming involved in a discipleship group that studies and holds one another accountable
learning how to share your faith
giving testimony of God's work in your life
forming a family through marriage and committing to live according to God's guidelines
talking about Jesus with your own child
Our spiritual journey has so many elements that are valuable and give an opportunity to emphasize our faith within our families.
Celebrating Milestones
Each family has its own way of celebrating important times in the lives of its members. Some ideas for making these times special are to
have a special china plate that the honored person is allowed to use for a significant day;
take pictures to place on the refrigerator;
find suitable gifts that fit the purpose, whether birthday or graduation or another event;
follow the birthday boy or girl to have a day with no chores. It is not only a treat but other siblings share the load to honor their brother or sister;
go out for a special dinner at a favorite restaurant;
send flowers or a card which extends the fun since the recipient can enjoy the flowers for a few days or read the card many times over.
In reality, what you do is rarely as important as the fact that something special is done as a celebration for a family member! Anything from a meal, a gift, a hug, or a prayer can express how important the event is to everyone but, more importantly, the person is affirmed.
Spiritual Milestone Example
Just as the occurrences of each life can be celebrated, the progress in one's spiritual life can be commemorated to emphasize its significance. These celebrations affirm a person's steps toward becoming what God intends in each life.
One obvious milestone to acknowledge is a person's spiritual birthday! This is the date when a person makes the personal decision to commit his or her life to Jesus Christ and becomes a Christian. You can add great value to your child's experience by affirming its importance. Make the annual anniversary of the decision a reason for celebration!
As my own children grew, we celebrated their faith anniversaries in the same way we enjoyed their chronological birthdays! We would have a nice meal, a special dessert, and a card with a small gift. The gift was always something that our children could use in their spiritual journeys such as a prayer journal, a new Bible, a devotional book, a cross necklace, or some other special item. Once, when our son was in early adolescence, he shared that he would like a new video game for his spiritual birthday! We reminded him that for this annual celebration, we planned to always give him something he would like but that would have spiritual value for him. Even though he tried to convince us of the high value of the game, he rejoiced when he received a good missionary biography for his special day!
These celebrations are also a chance to continue discipleship in the home!
Use this time to look back over the previous year and evaluate what God has done, what He has tried to teach your child, and how your child has responded to God's guidance.
Make the time as positive and affirming as possible. Don't emphasize negative choices but commemorate the positives.
Look to the future. Ask what your child believes God wants to see in the coming year. Which behaviors should be repeated and which should be altered?
Encourage the spiritual growth God wants to see. Perhaps a camp experience will enhance the year (the registration fee for a church camp would be a great faith birthday gift!).
Find an age-appropriate book that could be used in your child's personal devotions or in family devotion time.
Discuss topics relating to appropriate friendships as you help your child determine relationships that honor God.
Parents can do many things to make lasting spiritual impressions on their children. Something as easy as setting aside time and having a simple celebration can give honor and significance to the spiritual passages that occur in each child's life!