Marriage and Family Life Reading PlanSample

Train Them to Walk with God

According to the hundreds of parents surveyed at Family Life marriage conferences, the number-one need of parents is learning how to effectively train their children to walk with God. We want our children to have good jobs and healthy marriages and families, but what matters most is that they each have a vital relationship with Christ.

We have the unique privilege of shepherding our children’s hearts so that as they grow older, they will desire to remain close to the heart of God. It is a profound responsibility, “And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.”

In order for your children to embrace their God-given identity, they need to understand who God is and that knowing Him is the key to what life is all about. Some key concepts about God for you to share with your children are:

• God alone is Lord—there is no other.
• God is eternal.
• God is sovereign and has absolute authority.
• God has personality—mind, emotions, and will.
• God is love—He made human beings for relationships, both with Himself and with each other.
• God created us in His image—we are made to reflect God’s love to others.
• God loves us—each of us is a person of value.

As our children learn these basic attributes of God, they will begin to see He is the One who gives their lives ultimate purpose and meaning. A. W. Tozer’s statement is worth repeating, “The most important thing you think is what you think about God.”

Ultimately, it’s not who our children or even what family they come from that matters. It’s what they think about God and who they are in Him.