Our kids don’t live in an easy world. This week my kids will have to decide to avoid gossip, whether to take shortcuts with school work, which parties to go to and whether to say yes to the illegal substances….the list goes on. Your kids’ choices may be different, but no less difficult. To hit or spit or bite? To obey or talk back? To open the image or app?

And then there are the self confidence busters all around. His marker was moved down the behavior chart, or from green to yellow to red. Her paper has a lot of red ink on it. Overly photoshopped images instill body image insecurity. New friends didn’t leave room at the cafeteria table.

Yet we are called to “walk in the light”, to love our brothers and sisters. How can we expect our kids to love others when they struggle to love themselves?

“I’ve messed up so badly!”

“No one likes me. I’m unloveable.”

And when we- their as moms and dads and grandparents and aunts and uncles- tell them they are beautiful and precious, they can’t hear it. You know- “You have to say that. You’re my mom.”

The Christians of John’s time faced a whole different set of challenges, but they struggled just like we do. So these last few verses in 1 John chapter 2 (12-14) came as a much needed assurance of identity, a meditation we need for ourselves and our children today.

Our sins are forgiven. Our God is eternal. We have overcome the evil one. We know the Father. We are strong, the word of God is in us, and remember- we have overcome the evil one.

And so we pray that this is how our children would define themselves.