Better Than TV… FAMILY DEVOS #4

Activity

Share this old parable with your kids. Have fun with the story, embellishing it or even acting out a bit of it to make it more exciting.
“A typhoon stranded a monkey on an island. In a protected place on the shore, while waiting for the raging waters to recede, he spotted a fish swimming against the current. It seemed to the monkey that the fish was struggling and needed assistance. Being of kind heart, the monkey resolved to help the fish.

At considerable risk to himself, the monkey moved far out on the precarious limb of a tree, reached down, and snatched the fish from the waters. Scurrying back to the safety of his shelter, he carefully laid the fish on dry ground. The fish flopped around for a while until it finally lay still in complete rest. The monkey was very pleased and proud of himself for saving the fish and doing a nice thing for him.”

Questions and Discussion
– What are some positive things about the monkey?
(Good intentions, compassionate, courageous, acted on the need he saw.)
– What were some of the monkey’s assumptions?
(Fish was struggling; fish was like him; what was good for him was good for the fish.)
– What was the reality of the situation?
(They lived in different environments and had different needs.)

Singing and Bible Reading
Sing a few songs together (you might want to sing “Humble Yourselves”, or teach it to your children if they don’t know it). Have one child read Philippians 2:3-5 and another read 1 Peter 5:5.

Questions and Discussion
– Why we should be humble?
– What does it mean to be humble?
– Explain how the monkey actually hurt the fish because he thought the fish was just like him.
– Sometimes we expect people to be just like us, or do things like we do and we may get upset if they do something differently than we do.
– Can you think of a time when you felt like that?
– What are some things we can do to be humble towards others and put their interests above our own?

Tea Time (Taking Energetic Action)
Have each family member decide one thing this week that they can do to demonstrate humility and put the interests of someone else ahead of their own.

Memorize 1 Peter 5:5 (start with the part that says “All of you”) as a family. Write the verse out on a large sheet of paper or placard and put it where everyone in the family can see it. Quiz each other each day this week to help everyone memorize it.