We’ve all got people in our lives and they ALL need love. Some people are just easier to love than others. What? It's the truth. It’s hard to love someone who isn’t loving us back, but God tells us to love like He does.

What does He do?

God loves faithfully. We make mistakes every single day. Bad thoughts, angry moods, wrong choices. In each circumstance, God extends grace, no questions asked.

As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

John 13:34

So, moms, we wanna teach our girls to love the people around them (some easy to love and some not so easy), we need to train them to take the approach Paul gives us in Ephesians:

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people.

Ephesians 6:7

Do you want to  train your daughter to love with her whole heart? Here is a fun and simple way to get started. 

Question: The next time your daughter is considering whether or not to show compassion to someone who needs it, ask her to imagine that God is the one who needs it. How might she do things differently if He were the one standing in front of her?

Activity: A Change of Heart

1. On a piece of paper, have your daughter make two columns. Tell her to think about the people she knows (family, friends, classmates, teammates, neighbors etc.). On the top of the first column, have her draw a little heart. Then have her make a list of people she thinks are easy to love. In other words, it wouldn’t be difficult to be kind to these people. It would only take a little bit of effort and a little heart.
2. On top of the second column, have her draw a big heart. Then help her write down the names of people in her life who are a little harder to love. Once she has the names written down, spend some time thinking and praying aloud together. Lead her in a prayer that asks God to make her heart bigger for the people in the second column.

Remember, talk to your daughter about how loyalty is a choice. It’s making the decision to love people faithfully, no matter what. She is going to need God’s help to do this (we all do!), but she also needs people: family members, friends, and others who love God and will stand with her to love and serve others.

Two are better than one,

   because they have a good return for their labor:

If either of them falls down,

   one can help the other up.

But pity anyone who falls

   and has no one to help them up.

Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.

   But how can one keep warm alone?

Though one may be overpowered,

   two can defend themselves.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

God is calling her to a life of love and service, but He does not want her to try and love everyone all by herself! He wants her to stand together with the people who love and care about her. That way, if she hits a stumbling block or becomes discouraged, someone will be there to encourage her and pick her up.

3. Have your daughter look back at her “Little Heart, Big Heart” list. Encourage her to choose one person from the second column that she wants to serve. Brainstorm ways that the two of you can work together to show love to that person this week. Make it an act of service you can start, continue, and finish together this week.

Mom. Mentor. Invest your time wisely in this area. Each day matters, and so does each opportunity God gives you regarding your girl.

It’s my mission to equip and empower you with strategies that will help you connect with your girl grow her confidence, strengthen her identity, and walk in her life’s purpose.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about how this post resonated with you. Be sure to leave a comment below!

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Also, if you want to help your daughter discover and use the powerful voice God gave her, be sure to check out my book, HEARD: A Devotional for Girls. It's got games, activities, discussion guides and more!