Unless parents and grandparents hide the children they love away in some remote location where there is no internet and the only people they see, talk with and know are them, it is certain at one point or another they will meet someone who tells them things which go against what their parents and grandparents have taught them from God's Word. It is inevitable. We all may be careful to do all we are able to do to teach the children we love the truth of God's Word and how they are able to talk with, love, know and walk with Him, but at some point in time, someone will say or do something which will cause them to question the things we taught them. It is inevitable.
For example, think of Adam and Eve. They actually talked and walked with God in the garden every evening. Just imagine! They were surrounded by God's glory and lived in a world untouched by sin, yet even there, even then, Satan got to them and caused them to question what they knew to be true with the lies; "Does God really love me? Is He keeping something amazing from me?" Which led them to the questions we all face at some point; "Should I obey what God asked, or do what I want?"
Without a doubt parents and grandparents need to be, must be, faithful to hand down the faith to the children they love. They need to be, must be, faithful to pray for and with them. They need to be, must be, faithful to teach them the truth about how God is real and they are able to trust His Word. Yes, they need to be and must be faithful to do all these things, but they also need to know the day will come when the children they love will make the choice; "Should I obey what God asked, or do what I want?"
Some of the ones they love, when faced with this question, will fall back upon the foundation their parents and grandparents faithfully laid by handing down the faith and helping them learn to talk with, know, love and walk with God for themselves. They will continue to do these things. But, some, when faced with this question, will stumble. They may wander from God. As Christianity Today recently wrote; "In his book, Faith for Exiles, David Kinnaman stated in 2011, 59 percent of young Americans who grew up Christian had stopped attending their churches. Less than a decade later, the number has now increased to 64 percent. . . . the biggest challenge to the Christian church is our inability to disciple our own children and help them transition from childhood faith to adult belief." 64%; this breaks my heart. We all - parents, grandparents and leaders at church - MUST face this challenge and disciple the children we love and help them transition to adult belief. We must.
Whichever response is made by the children in your ministry, continue to be faithful to equip parents and grandparents to hand down the faith and be certain your Children's Ministry absolutely engages children, so they want to be there and remember, understand and live God's Word. Continue to pray. Continue to trust them to the One Who loves them the most. Continue to equip them. Continue to help them learn to talk with God, love God, know God, walk with God - on their own. They have to have a faith of their own; our faith and the faith of their parents/grandparents are a great model for them, but there has to be a point where they make the faith their own. Equip them to do this.
Trust God and know the foundation you all are faithful to lay by handing down the faith, by being faithful to pray for and with them and to teach them the truth about how God is real and they are able to trust His Word are all things which matter. These truths are things to which they are able to hold tightly when life is challenging and confusing and when it is going well. These truths are the things which will stay with them . . . even if they struggle and even wander for a time. Be faithful and committed to teaching them the truth and equipping their parents and grandparents to do the same; help them make the faith their own - it matters.
#grandmas #handingdownthefaith #itmatterswhatwedo #grandparentingonpurpose
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