If you’re a Christian mom, you long for your kids to know their identity in Christ. However, knowing HOW to help them understand that they’re a Child of God and a new creation is not easy.
That was certainly my experience, and it makes logical sense. The terms we use to describe faith in Christ Jesus are abstract ideas that adults even struggle to grasp.
This is why it’s helpful to have concrete tools and visual reminders to help kids understand such abstract concepts. So, today, I’m sharing an identity in Christ resource that I created years ago for my kids.
Hope you find it helpful for your children!
Pin Me!
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a nominal fee from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support. See my disclosure policy for more info.
Intentional Language with Kids
Over the past two decades, I’ve noticed a pattern in Children’s Ministry.
When we share Jesus with children (and new believers), we use that specific verbiage repeatedly. Some would use the term “Christianese” to describe the language used in Christian circles and ministry.
And, this language begins when children are young. With preschool-age children, we start by teaching the Promises of God using key phrases.
For example,
- Jesus is your forever friend.
- God loves you so much.
- When you’re afraid, you can trust Jesus.
As kids grow, we beef up the language to help them further understand their true identity in Christ.
- Do all things through Christ who strengthens you.
- You are covered in Christ.
- Know who you are in Christ.
These phrases are rooted in the Word of God, the Gospel, and this is a good thing.
The Truth of Scripture for Kids
However, I’ve observed a shortcoming in our efforts to support kids and new believers in an understanding of God’s promises. The apostle Paul reminds the early church:
I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it.
1 Corinthians 3:2
By the term “milk” Paul describes the way he initially shared the gospel with the new church.
Specifically, when he approached the new church about Jesus, he shared what they could understand at the time.
The “milk” he shared with them was the basic truth about Jesus, the Son of God.
Reminding young children of this is such a great thing! It meets kids at the level they’re capable of grasping.
“Jesus is your friend forever.”
This is awesome!! However, it’s just the beginning.
Truth About Our Kids’ Identity in Christ
These basic truths are foundational to the Christian faith.
Using simple language with children is the essential basis for a deeper understanding of God’s grace through the Gospel.
However, we often fail to move from the “milk” of the Gospel to the “meat.”
This void was glaringly obvious to me one evening when my girls were little.
He Uses All Things for Good
At that time, my family was in a deep season of chaos, stress, and growth.
My daughters both entered the world of navigating their friendships.
One of them was struggling with a hurt relationship and feelings of rejection. It was one of those moments in my journey that I’ll remember for a long time.
I wished I could “fix” it and take away her pain.
But ultimately, that power was not mine. I realized then that my only power was to point her to Jesus.
Messages We Want Kids to Absorb
Here’s the deal. Our children are going to grow up receiving a multitude of ideas.
Ask yourself this question.
Do I want my child to soak up the expectations of a world that tells them that to be valuable they need to:
- Be a certain size,
- Wear a specific brand of clothing,
- Have the latest phone and
- Avoid the uncool and unpopular in fear of being ostracized by their peers.
- Pretend they’re not who God made them to be to fit in
What do we want kids to believe about themselves?
As Christian moms, we want our kids to know the truth of Scripture.
Don’t we want them to grow in their understanding of Biblical truths?
So many of us say that we want our kids to know the love of Christ. We fiercely want them to know what it means to be in a relationship with Him.
However, as I realized that night, we’ve got to be intentional if we want to truly equip them.
A Hard Look in the Mirror
Who you are in Christ is what matters,
This is what I told her.
Behind closed doors, I desperately prayed for both my girls to know how loved they are by God.
Earnestly, I pleaded with God to allow my children to know their value because of Jesus.
I begged Him to make their faith their own and to allow them to know who they were because of Him.
Suddenly, it hit me.
- Who am I in Christ?
- What exactly does that mean?
- Do I even know who I am in Christ, Lindsay?
- How do I expect my children to cling to that truth of their Identity in Christ if I am not exactly sure myself?
I remember frantically searching for specific verses that pointed to our Identity in Christ.
What About My Identity in Christ?
At that time, I’d been in church for almost three decades. In-depth inductive Bible Study, line-by-line was my jam for years.
My girls and I had chunks of Scripture memorized. Scripture memory work had always been part of our homeschool time.
Yet, when it came down to it, I wasn’t clear on the specifics.
Where did the Identity in Christ idea come from?
How could I equip my girls to know deeply that their identity is found in Jesus alone?
No longer were the illustrated picture story bibles going to do. In the end, I created Identity in Christ printables just for my kids.
It was time to teach them to use God’s Word as the offensive weapon it is. They needed to guard their minds against unhealthy beliefs.
It was time to equip them on a practical level, with the Sword of the Spirit.
A Scripture Treasure Hunt
I created a personalized printable of the Scriptures for each of my children. Then I framed and displayed them in their rooms.
These reminders have been a source of strength for each of them as they navigate the world.
Initially, I had them read aloud straight from the printable to help them memorize them.
Repetition is an awesome and simple memory tool. To this day, when I sneak into their rooms to get one more snuggle before bed, I use it as a tool.
I pray the Scriptures out loud over them and now over my son.
Related Post:
30 Who I Am in Christ Printable Bible Verses
The following verses will help you and your children understand your new identity in Christ. Each one is included in the digital download form at the end of this post.
1. 1 Corinthians 12:12-13
Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.
2. Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
3. Colossians 2:9-10
God’s whole nature is living in Christ in human form. Because you belong to Christ, you have been made complete.
4. Colossians 3:13
Bear with each other and forgive one another… Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
5. Philippians 3:20
But our citizenship is in heaven.
6. 1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
I love how the NIV uses the term “God’s special people.”
7. Matthew 5:8-9
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
9. John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
10. Philippians 1:6
He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
11. 2 Corinthians 5:21
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
12. Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
13. Matthew 5:13
You are the salt of the earth.
14. Ephesians 2:7
… He might show the incomparable riches of his grace expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
15. 2 Corinthians 2:16
We have the mind of Christ.
16. Romans 8:1-2
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
17. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?
18. Romans 8:38-39
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
19. Romans 8:14
… Those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
20. Ephesians 1:3-4
… Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.
21. 1 Peter 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
22. Romans 8:29
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
23. John 10:11
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.
24. Romans 8:16
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
25. John 15:1-2
I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
26. Matthew 19:14
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
27. Galatians 3:26
So in Christ Jesus, you are all children of God through faith.
28. 2 Corinthians 6:1
We work together with God. So we are asking you not to receive God’s grace and then do nothing with it. (NIrV)
29. John 1:12
Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.
30. John 15:15
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
Identity in Christ Scripture Download
I hope these printable Scripture references help you and your children grow in your confidence in the love of your Heavenly Father.
Let’s equip our kids and ourselves to face this world with confidence because of Jesus.
I’ve created these wall art Identity in Christ printables using the first eight verses on this list. Download the free version and get started!
Here are some practical ways to use them.
- Repeat them aloud at mealtimes
- Insert your child’s name while praying with them at bedtime.
- Share them in the car.
- Post them to your bathroom mirror.
- In the hard moments, refer back to those Scriptures… tease through them with your children.
Any other thoughts? Do comment below. We’re in this together!
Grab Your Free Identity in Christ for Kids PDF Downloads in Multiple Colors!
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a nominal fee from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support. See my disclosure policy for more info.
Yes! I love this! Thank you for sharing!
Hubs and I are both parenting differently than we were used to growing up. I started following Jesus after my now 13 year old was born and I learned a lot of things right along with my toddlers (through the Jesus storybook Bible actually) I needed that “milk” at the time! We started going to church as a family in 2007 and we went through a lot of ups and downs! Satan was attacking our family for sure and God was using the bad for good time again. Refining us in the fire so to speak.
The only thing that always helped and continues to help me in the darkest days is scripture! Meditation and prayer on scripture I have memorized. It is important to memorize them so they are there in your mind when you really need them. 💕
Yes!! I cannot tell you how many times God has pulled Scripture to the forefront of my mind that I had memorized long before that. Such a blessing to be able to have Scripture memorized. Yay!
Such an awesome post, Lindsay! I just read about finding my identity in Christ as I thought about how I try to find my identity online. This post came in as confirmation. We cannot know how HE describes us if we do not know HIM, as one author puts it (paraphrased). Therefore, we’ll look for all other sources to define us. Also, we definitely cannot teach our children to find their identity in Christ if we ourselves as parents don’t know how to find it. You’ve broken it down so clearly of how we teach them from the preschool years and change the teaching language as they grow. I too have memorized tons of passages (prior kids) and now wonder what in the world is going on. I need to get back to the basics and set the example for our kids. Thank you for the inspiration.
Zan, Honestly, this comment is such a gift. Thank you so much for your encouragement. I am so glad this resonates with you, Sweet Friend! Let me know how it goes. Blessings!
Thank you. I appreciate your suggestion of letting our children hear their name within the scriptures. And. I’m always sneaking into their room for one last snuggle, too!
thanks for the audio, that was helpful.
So glad you enjoyed this, Ashlynn! Extra snuggles are so wonderful. Yay!!!
Yes! I love the part about going from milk to meat- I do agree and love your point of view on this! Thank you!
Thank you, Kristin! I appreciate your encouragement! 🙂
Yes, yes, yes! This is so good. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us. <3
Yay! Stefani, so glad this resonates with you. Even if I just read the scripture printable over my kids at night, it is so life-giving. 🙂
I really want these who I am in Christ printables, but when I click the link it just brings me to a page to homeschool stuff. No where to sign up, just sign in. Please help! I was hoping to print enough for all of my youth group, as this is a lesson we are working on this weekend!
Scratch my last comment. I figured it out haha! Bless you!
Thanks for making this. I appreciate you and your ministry. God bless you.
I’m so glad you found this Identity in Christ printable for kids helpful. 🙂 Thanks for your encouragement.