Pass It On – Faith

Wednesday, June 24, 2020
Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. "These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. "You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.  Deuteronomy 6:4-7

Pass It On – Faith

If we pass nothing else on to our children and grandchildren, we must pass faith from our lives to theirs. There are many good and helpful things we can teach them, but none they will need more than they will need Jesus Christ in their lives. Unfortunately, they will live in a very different world than we grew up in. Satan’s influence is strong, and many are deceived. We must make sure they know the truth – God’s truth. 

"Children learn what we live!"  - Brother Van

One way we lead our children is by the example we set for them. We can talk to them – and talk and talk and talk - and they won’t hear us.  But I can promise you, they won’t forget all the mistakes we make.  They won’t forget the good things either like seeing you pray and read your Bible, taking them to church on Sunday and how you handle what life throws your way. 

The way we handle ourselves when anger, frustration, loss, grief, resentment, and other negative feelings take over is important.  Every feeling of life has to be expressed properly to be dealt with effectively.  And when we fail, our kids know it. We need to admit it and talk to them about how to handle those emotions properly. If they are not handled properly, they can cause devastating consequences, not only to our own lives, but to the lives of those around us. 

The greatest lesson any parent or grandparent can give to a child is how to apply faith to their lives. Share your stories of faith with your children and grandchildren. Let them know what God has done in your life and how He may have used you to work in other people’s lives. Take them to serve so they will know the value of serving others. Provide opportunities for them to grow and learn and for God to work in their lives. Teach them to be aware always of people and circumstances that He allows in their lives for a purpose. Teach them to be kingdom minded. 

Our children and grandchildren need to know that their Heavenly Father is filled with compassion, mercy, and grace.  They need to know that He is our protector and provider, and they need to see evidence that we believe that too. A parent or grandparent who worries openly does not display faith. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to show faith outwardly when we are crumbling inside, but it can actually make us stronger. Having to be strong for others builds strength and having to be stronger in our faith for others can make our faith life stronger.