Many children love the simple game of “Connect the Dots”. You know, the game where you draw a line from one numbered dot to the next until the series of lines eventually reveals a completed picture. Children enjoy both the process of anticipating the picture and the results of identifying it.
Did you ever imagine that the game of connect the dots could hold spiritual lessons for us as parents?
In this game, the numbers must each be connected in the appropriate order to achieve the correct outcome. Otherwise, the result will be chaos. In life, God has ordered the plans for our lives (Jeremiah 29:11) and desires that we faithfully follow His lead rather than strive to get ahead of Him or choose our own way. As parents, we should help our children understand that God’s order brings meaning to life; apart from following God’s will, life will become chaotic.
In connecting the dots, the revelation of the completed picture is a process that requires connecting a series of shorter lines one at a time. In life, God desires that we learn to obediently follow Him moment by moment throughout each day. Galatians 5:25 tells us: Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Explain to your children that faithfully following the Lord is to stay in step with the prompting of His Spirit. As we follow, fully surrendered to Christ, He will continually reveal His will to us and point us in the direction He desires us to travel.
Only the creator of the puzzle knows the completed picture. While connecting the dots, a person may sometimes get an idea of an outline but cannot be certain of the completed picture until each dot is connected. The same can be true for our children. For this reason, we should remind our young people that God alone sees the bigger, completed picture of our lives. God may not reveal the bigger picture or purpose for His plan in advance, but He will be faithful to complete His work in us (Philippians 1:6).
As we strive to seek our all knowing God’s perspective in each situation, He will faithfully connect the “spiritual dots” in our lives.
Are you showing your child how to best connect the dots in his or her life?