As moms of teenagers, we should strive hard to impress upon our older kids that there is no such thing as God’s grandchildren. That even if we, their parents, call ourselves children of God because of our personal relationship with Him, it does not automatically mean that by default, they too, get the eternal life that we have received when we accepted Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
The truth is our children cannot inherit our faith, nor can they be a party to our relationship with Christ. They are to connect God with God themselves and nurture their own relationship with Him. We can only teach them how to go about it, but they have to be the one to seek Him, to decide to confess their sins, receive His gift of salvation and live a life that strives to honor Him through every choice that they make.
“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” John 1:12
As parents our goal is to train them to live a life centered on God. We have to influence them early on to live lives that honor Him. We may not have control over their faith-based decisions as they grow up, but our calling is to leave them a legacy of faith.
And the Bible tells us about stories of great faith influenced by parents. For instance, Paul the Apostle’s Protegee, Timothy, grew in faith, strongly influenced by his mom and grandmother.
“I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also” 2 Timothy 1:5
And of course there are also horrific biblical examples that prove we cannot pass on our faith to our children. Exhibit A is the High Priest Eli, who was successful in training Samuel, but failed in his own two sons who have been punished by the Lord because of their sins and Eli’s failure to discipline them.
“Why do you scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?’” 1 Samuel 2:29-30
So as present-day Christian parents what are we to do? We encourage them to build a personal relationship with the Lord by growing their faith. We teach them about Jesus, and read them the Word. We teach them how to talk to God and pray, and encourage them to intentionally read the Bible.
We should also normalize conversations about God and the Bible. We bring them to church, and we expose them to faith-based activities. They have to learn that worshipping God is non-negotiable in the family, and it takes the highest priority. Higher than school, business, or pleasure. We should also surround them with God-honoring people, and encourage them to choose God-fearing friends as well.
“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” Deuteronomy 6:6-7
More importantly, they have to see in us that we love the Lord above all and that we live our lives for Him. That the Lord’s grace can be seen in our lives and in how we relate to them and to others. And when we do this faithfully, God’s sufficient grace will make up for our deficiencies and what we lack. He will also fill in the gaps and cover the lacking spaces, so that He can call our children to His kingdom and His will.
“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on 1 Samuel 2:27-36 to dig deeper on today’s
topic.
Reflection Question: How are you encouraging your older children to develop a personal relationship with the Lord?
Conversation with the Lord: Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of motherhood. Please give me the strength, grace, and confidence to encourage my children to follow you. That I could influence them to live their lives for you. Amen.