Family Devotional
God Never Said That
In this 3-week series, we’ll discover what God really has to say about some of the most important issues in life.
Does God Want Me to Be Happy?
Imagine eating your absolute favorite dessert—like a giant sundae with ice cream, hot fudge, and sprinkles—for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every single day! At first, it sounds like the best life hack ever. But after a day or two, your stomach would hurt, you’d feel tired, and eating ice cream wouldn’t feel fun anymore. Doing whatever feels good in the moment seems like the ultimate way to be happy, but chasing temporary feelings always ends up leaving us feeling empty and sick inside.
A lot of people think that God’s main goal is to make us happy all the time, but God never actually said that! Chasing happiness by doing whatever we want often leads us down the wrong path, like breaking rules or ignoring our parents just to get our way. God loves us way too much to settle for temporary, fleeting happiness. Instead, God wants us to experience something much bigger and deeper: true, lasting joy that comes from following Him!
Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
So what does it actually look like to delight in God instead of just chasing happy feelings? It means putting Jesus first in your everyday choices! When you feel like throwing a fit because you can’t have more screen time, or cheating in a game just so you can win, you are looking for quick happiness in the wrong place. True joy happens when you choose to obey God, tell the truth, and treat others with love, even when it’s hard or doesn’t give you instant reward.
Whenever you are tempted to do something selfish just to feel good in the moment, give yourself a quick checkup! Ask yourself: “Will this choice bring me temporary fun, or will it help me honor God?” When you make God your main focus, He transforms your heart and gives you a deep, unstoppable joy that stays with you even on tough days. Choose to follow Jesus today and show His amazing love to everyone around you!
Talk About It
- If you could eat any single food you wanted for an entire week straight, what crazy meal would you choose?
- What is our main Bible truth today, and where can we find it in the Bible?
- Parents, when you were kids, what was a time you did something silly or unwise just because you thought it would make you happy, and how did it turn out?
- Why is it sometimes really hard to make a wise choice when doing the wrong thing seems like it would be much more fun in the moment, and how can Jesus help us stand firm?
- What is one practical thing our family can do together this week to focus on delighting in God instead of just chasing happy feelings?
What to Do When You’re Tempted as a Kid
Imagine walking into the kitchen right before dinner and seeing a fresh, warm plate of chocolate chip cookies sitting on the counter. Your parents said not to touch them, but nobody is looking! Your mouth starts watering, and your hand slowly creeps toward the plate. That sneaky feeling telling you to do something you know is wrong—even when it seems fun or tasty—is called temptation, and every single kid faces it!
Temptation itself isn’t a sin, but giving in to it leads to trouble, broken trust, and hurt feelings. The good news is that you don’t have to be trapped when temptation comes knocking at your door! God promises that whenever you face a tricky choice, He will always provide a way out so you can win the battle in your mind and choose what is right.
1 Corinthians 10:13 God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.
So what does taking the “way out” actually look like in real life? It means making a fast escape before you make a bad decision! If you’re tempted to keep playing video games when you’re supposed to be doing homework, turn off the screen and walk into another room. If you’re tempted to say something mean back to a sibling who teased you, take a deep breath, close your mouth, and ask Jesus to help you stay calm.
Whenever temptation pops up at home or school, give yourself a quick escape check! Ask yourself: “What is the exit door God is giving me right now?” You can choose to run away from bad choices and turn toward Jesus by praying, asking an adult for help, or switching to a good activity. With God’s help, you can stand strong against temptation and show His amazing love to everyone around you!
Talk About It
- If you could build a giant, secret escape slide in your house to zip away from boring chores, where would it lead and what color would it be?
- What is our main Bible truth today, and where can we find it in the Bible?
- Parents, when you were kids, what was a sneaky temptation you struggled with, and how did you learn to take the way out?
- Why is it sometimes really hard to run away from temptation when doing the wrong thing seems like it will be fun or get you what you want right away?
- What is one practical escape plan our family can create together this week for when we feel tempted to lose our tempers or disobey?
How to Say You’re Sorry (and Really Mean It)
Imagine playing tag on the playground, running as fast as you can, and accidentally bumping into a friend so hard that they tumble onto the grass and drop their favorite toy. You didn’t mean to do it, but their knee hurts and they look super upset! In that moment, saying a quick, mumble-y “sorry” while running away doesn’t really fix anything. It leaves your friend feeling hurt and leaves you feeling awkward inside.
We all make mistakes, break things, or accidentally hurt people’s feelings from time to time. But learning how to say “sorry” and actually meaning it is a super big deal to God! Admitting when we are wrong and making things right shows that we care more about other people than about protecting our own pride, and it helps heal broken friendships.
Colossians 3:13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
So what does a real, heartfelt apology actually look like in real life? It starts by slowing down, looking the person in the eye, and saying what you did wrong instead of making up cheap excuses! Saying “I’m sorry for taking your marker without asking, will you forgive me?” is way more powerful than just yelling “Sorry!” across the room. It means taking responsibility for your actions and trying your best to fix the damage.
Whenever you mess up at home or school, give yourself a quick apology check! Ask yourself: “Am I saying sorry just to get out of trouble, or do I really want to make things right with my friend?” When you choose to own your mistakes and ask for forgiveness, you reflect the amazing grace Jesus shows to us every single day. Practice saying sincere apologies this week and show Jesus’ loving heart to everyone around you!
Talk About It
- If you had to invent a funny noise or a silly dance that instantly made someone smile whenever they were feeling sad, what would it look like?
- What is our main Bible truth today, and where can we find it in the Bible?
- Parents, when you were kids, what was a time you made a big mistake and had to give a real apology, and how did it feel afterward?
- Why is it sometimes really hard to admit we were wrong and say “I’m sorry” to a sibling or classmate, and how can Jesus give us the courage to do it?
- What is one practical way our family can practice making sincere apologies to each other whenever we mess up this week?
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