My husband and I believe that the most influential people in a child’s life are his or her parents. But we wonder at times if our parenting decisions are having the impact we hoped for. Now that our kids are adolescents, friendships no longer consist of playing with toys and learning to share. Likewise, because they’re not always within sight, our kids have more experiences on their own than when they were younger. These days, instead of searching for a lesson to deposit in their hearts and minds (Proverbs 3:1), I find myself looking for a place to kneel and pray for them.
Every parent faces the fear of failure and, for the believing parent, those concerns magnify when we recognize the influence we have over our children’s spiritual development (Psalm 78:1-7). Wondering about their choices when we’re not around, we become anxious that they will wander from the truths we have tried to instill in them. Godliness in our children, however, isn’t something determined by our level of visibility. But there is One who is always watching, and who is always at work beyond what we can see (Psalm 33:18; Proverbs 3:12,26).
Standing on our God-given authority, we can boldly pray God’s wisdom over our children (Proverbs 3:5-7,13-18). From obedience to God to our relationships with others and our decisions in the future, His Word is both relevant and powerful (Proverbs 3:4,7). If we want our kids to know His truths and to put Him first in their lives, we must learn to “seek his will in all [we] do” (Proverbs 3:6). Our greatest spiritual influence on our children is found in the way we live out our faith before them.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: John 9:1-41
More:
Read Deuteronomy 6:6-9 and consider how you can apply these words to sharing God’s wisdom with children.
Next:
Why is it easy for parents to worry or fear? How does the way God loves and nurtures have an impact on the way you care for the children in your life—your own kids, nieces and nephews, and other children you come into contact with?
Gary Shultz on August 9, 2014 at 6:36 am
I am sure you do well. You will soon find out how well when those children meet the world by themselves. It is a great gift we have been given. To see God’s heart bloom in them will be beyond imagination.
daisymarygoldr on August 19, 2014 at 10:04 am
Good post, Regina! It is true; parents have the primary responsibility to lay down a Biblical foundation for the spiritual development of their children. And it is also true, greater percentages of children brought up by godly parents struggle with the matter of morals during their adolescent years. They question the values of their parents and eventually many if not most abandon the faith. So, what went wrong?
These individuals tried living out the faith that was handed down by their parents or pastors which did not survive the questions and criticism of their peers. Borrowed faith will surely not stand the storms of secular humanism that dominates even the compromised church. Young adults who have been merely aping the spiritual principles of their parents get easily deceived by popular opinions and acceptable alternatives that the ungodly world presents as truth.
How can we care for our children beyond what we can see? Ensure your children pursue a passionate, personal relationship with God in the person of Jesus Christ. When they receive Christ into their lives, the Holy Spirit comes to live in them. It is the guidance of the Spirit of truth living in them that will enable them to accept the authority of His Word in every choice and decision they make in their own lives. This has been my personal experience during the years I lived away from the watchful eyes of my parents.
When you come together as a family, ask adolescents to articulate their beliefs with personal questions like: Why do you believe the Bible is God’s word? Who is Jesus Christ? Have you been born-again? Are you saved? Why do you go to church? By their responses we can easily tell whether they have an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ or simply pretending to be followers of Christ in the presence of their parents.
Also, it is important to discuss important issues like love, hate, good and evil, war, peace, sexuality, death, and life in the light of the Bible. This is what we are doing with our high schooler at home. We have made it very upfront that if she coasts along on our beliefs, then sooner or later she will end up in a crash. In casual conversation, we point out examples of persons both from the Bible and in the society to discuss atheism, agnosticism, nominal and cultural Christianity.
When children are equipped with the knowledge of rightly applying God’s Word, they will be able to address skeptical subjects and confusing questions of life on their own. Whether we as parents are far or near, with Christ in them, our children will be an example of Christ to all in what they say, in the way they live, in their love, their faith, and their purity—even in their youth.