God-Confident Kids: Helping your child find true purpose, passion and peace
By Cyndie Claypool de Neve
Kids today have a tough life to navigate.
News and information are readily accessible and instant connection to friends, family, acquaintances and anyone in the world is as easy as a text, email, call, or video chat, all available on a handheld electronic device.
There are options galore when it comes to choosing what to eat for dinner (if you’re bored with Pinterest or Yelp, you can try a food delivery service, grocery delivery service or meal prep delivery service). There are infinite shows and movies available to stream wirelessly from any place at any time. Plus, there are all types of places online to shop for clothes, games, trinkets, and anything else you can imagine. Whatever you’re considering, whenever you’re desiring it, there are a ton of options seeking to gain your attention, business and influence.
But all of that stuff available immediately and easily via electronic devices has made life on today’s youth very challenging. The information overload combined with social media stimulation and other mediums has significantly lowered an adolescent’s attention span to merely a few seconds while increasing their levels of anxiety, depression, and overall fear.
Now, I know I date myself when I use the phrase, “kids today…” but think about it – this generation, dubbed Gen Z, really does have a hard time deciphering what is good and godly from what is wrong and worldly. The lines between what is Truth, lies and reality have become more gray and blurry over the last decade than they were in decades prior.
For Gen Z, the world is a place where mass shootings, terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and political riots can break out at any moment anywhere across the nation. Additionally, being “liked” means little to nothing and social media has only made children less physically social and more emotionally/mentally anxious, depressed, envious, insecure, and fearful. This is resulting in a soul-crushing confidence crisis where kids are turning to drugs, alcohol, sex, bullying and self-harm as a way to numb their pain and/or gain some sense of control over their lives.
Is there hope for this generation?
YES!
God-Confident Kids: Helping your child find true purpose, passion and peace by Cyndie Claypool de Neve is the perfect remedy for a parent, grandparent, guardian, teacher, pastor of anyone with a heart to positively influence today’s youth.
Written by an associate marriage and family therapist, God-Confident Kids is packed with powerful, practical wisdom from a professional who encourages true God-confidence through one’s identity in Christ over the world’s false identity of self-confidence through self-help and things of the like.
God-Confident Kids is anchored in the Truth of Ephesians 2:10, which states, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” The author uses Ephesians 2:10 as support of God-confidence which she defines as true confidence, humility and authenticity developed by knowing God has handcrafted each person with a unique and specific purpose. Moreover, God-confidence is having confidence that God will equip each individual with strength, courage and wisdom to utilize all of the gifts they’ve been given in order to fulfill God’s plans and purpose for their life.
God-Confident Kids tackles topics such as how to parent the diverse personality types of children in your family, how to combat people-pleasing, how to guide your children to discover their unique passions and purposes, how to develop and build confidence by each age and stage of life (my personal fave!), plus many more.
The stories shared throughout this book along with the author’s personal experiences provided practical advice and psychological insight backed by biblical Truth. I found this to be highly effective when communicating the message of obtaining confidence in God to uncover a child’s passion and purpose in order to receive an ultimate peace (Philippians 4:7). I also enjoyed the use of scripture as support throughout this entire book as well as the “quick tips” section at the end of each chapter which offered helpful, realistic, and doable suggestions to help guide your child to become God-confident.
*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review
