Parenting On PurposeSample

Baton of Faith

Jalene:

As a Christian parent, our ultimate goal is to have our children fall in love with Jesus. Our job is to give our children opportunities to see Him, to meet Him, to experience Him. And then we pray that they give Him their heart. Deuteronomy 11:18-21 shows us the degree to which we should take our children’s faith seriously. It says to teach our children principles from the Word of God, “talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorposts on your house and on your gates, so that as long as the sky remains above the earth, you and your children may flourish in the land the Lord swore to give to your ancestors.” Our children’s faith cannot be dependent on our faith as parents. The time came for me, with every one of my children, to have the “baton of faith” discussion. We talked about how I held in my hand the baton of my own faith, and I was trying to hand the baton off to them so they could run their race well. But they could not run their race until the baton was completely in their hands—or their faith was completely their own. They had to have a personal relationship with Christ that could and would thrive when I wasn’t there to guide them. I was blessed and privileged to see each of my children take that baton at early ages, and see them thrive in their walk with God. To be honest, it made my job as a mom so much easier. They had their creator guiding them, and convicting them. Children can understand spiritual matters way more than we give them credit for. The earlier we begin these conversations, the better. However, I’m fully aware that this is not the case for many families. Maybe this is you, and your kids have completely turned away from the faith you hold dear. When your children are still in your home, you have more influence than you realize. Don’t give up. It’s never too late to reach their hearts. Maybe you have adult children, and your influence is limited to what they will allow. Maybe your only influence is in prayer. Don’t underestimate that. Prayer is powerful—believe it! Go to battle for their hearts. One day, each of our children will stand before their maker, and they will either know Him, or they won’t. That is a heavy truth on a parent’s heart. As I touched on in Day 1 of this plan, pray for Christ to draw them to Him, and don’t be afraid to share your heart and your testimony with them in a real way. God made you the parent of this child for a reason. You have what it takes. You love them most. Fight for their souls. Never give up.

Action Step: Every family looks different, and we’re all at different points in our walk. No matter where your family is today on your journey, look for opportunities to teach and model the Word of God every day.