Teaching Identity in Christ Early Matters More Than We Realize

From the desk of Elle Angel

Most of us assume that we have time. We assume we will have time to teach our children who they are, time to shape their confidence, and time to guide them when they are older and able to understand more.

However, what we have come to realize as parents is that our children are already learning who they are every single day, and they are not learning it only from us.

They are learning from what they watch, from what they hear, from other children, and from the world around them. This process begins much earlier than we tend to expect.

Children do not wait until they are teenagers to begin asking, “Who am I?” They begin answering that question when they are very young. We can see this in the way they speak about themselves, in how they compare themselves to others, and in what they begin to believe they need in order to be accepted. If truth is not planted early, something else will take its place.

Our children are constantly making decisions based on what they believe about themselves, even at a very young age. They decide whether to try something new, whether to speak up, whether to step forward, or whether to hold back based on the identity that has already begun forming inside of them.

I saw this so clearly with my own son. At five years old, before he could even fully write, he decided that he wanted to write a book. He had watched me working on mine, and something in him connected with it. He knew in his heart that he wanted to do the same and write a book about Jesus.

You can see the book he created here:

https://www.amazon.ca/All-Roads-Lead-Jesus-English-French/dp/1996807102

When I really stopped and thought about it, I realized that decision did not come out of nowhere. It came from what he already believed about himself. He believed that his ideas had value, that he was capable of doing something meaningful, and that he had something worth sharing. More than that, he believed that he could be used to point people to Jesus.

That is what identity does. It shapes the decisions our children make long before we even notice it.

As parents, our desire is for God’s voice to be the primary voice in our children’s lives. However, the reality is that there are many voices competing for their attention. Screens, stories, conversations, and repeated messages all contribute to shaping what our children believe. Over time, repetition forms belief, and belief forms identity. For this reason, what our children hear consistently plays a significant role in who they become.

As Christian parents, it is easy to assume that our children will simply know that they are loved by God. However, identity is not formed through assumption. It is formed through what is spoken, repeated, and reinforced. Truth must be planted and watered continually, much like a plant. We cannot water something once and expect it to grow. Growth requires time, patience, and consistency.

The encouraging part is that this does not require perfection. It often looks like simple, everyday moments such as speaking life over your child throughout the day, reading truth together in language they can understand, creating a home where God’s Word is heard regularly, and gently reminding them who they are when the world tells them something different. These moments may seem small, but over time they build a strong foundation.

When children grow up hearing that they were made on purpose, that they belong to God, and that they are loved, those truths begin to take root in their hearts. They become a foundation that remains with them and that they can return to later in life.

Starting does not need to feel complicated or overwhelming. As parents, we already carry enough responsibility. It can begin with something as simple as being intentional about what fills your child’s heart and mind. Speaking truth, reading truth, and allowing truth to be heard regularly in the home allows it to become familiar and deeply rooted.

This is the heart behind the God Made series.

It is designed to help parents plant truth early in a way that children can understand and carry with them as they grow. When identity is rooted in Christ from the beginning, it shapes how a child walks through the world.