How can I explain "a relationship with God" to my children?

The most effective way to teach and train children anything is to help them understand why you're teaching them and how you plan to do it, and to proceed not by simply telling them what you want them to learn and do but by working with them and making learning a joint responsibility. The first step in the big picture. You're children need to know that you love them, that you want them to have the best possible life, and that it's therefore your job to teach them, train them, discipline them, and help them grow in every area so that they can have a good life. If they understand your motivation, they won't feel that you're just someone put on earth to make them miserable every time you try to help them grow in a particular area.

By way of illustration, let's tackle the mess that our kids call a room, about as down to earth as you can get. Children are generally convinced that the reason you nag them about their room is because you're a hopeless neat freak who doesn't know how to relax. And the whole issue tends to become a battle of wills: you think the room should be clean; they think it doesn't matter.

But if you take the time to explain and to train- to tell them how important it is to learn to clean up after themselves and organize their space as a life habit, and why those things are important- you can get your children to see that you're all on the same side, working together. You might explain, for example, that cleaning as they go is easier, saves time,a nd makes life more pleasant. Furthermore, by learning to organize and clean their room, they'll begin to develop the life skills of organization and discipline that will help them in every area of life. Explain to them that if we learn valuable life skills while our responsibilities are small, then life is easier to conquer as the responsibilities grow. Of course your explanation must be adapted to each kids individual personality.

But regardless of age or personality, the basic point remains the same: once the picture is painted properly and your children see that the training is for their sake and not yours, they're able to join in and develop their own motivation and sense of responsibility for the process.

Let's move from messy rooms back to spiritual growth. The same foundational parenting principle applies here as well: your children need to know that there's a reason, a purpose, a goal, and a benefit to building their spiritual life. (Actually, it's easier to explain a relationship with God and have your children respond to his love than it is to explain the reasons and benefits for keeping their bedrom clean and have them respond to your gentle but ever so persistent reminders)