Giving Your Words: The Lifegiving Power of a Verbal Home for Family Faith FormationSample

A legacy of words

My mother was not deeply theological, but her simple trust in God was personal and real. I still remember one special Christmas when I was about nine years old. She and I were sitting on the couch by our towering Christmas tree aglow with white lights and colorful, shiny baubles adorning every branch. Sipping our hot chocolates, we sat shoulder to shoulder, taking in the magical moment together.

Out of the blue, she nudged me, looked very solemnly into my eyes, and said, “One thing is important for you to remember the rest of your life.” I sat up straighter, sensing this was a profound moment to her. She said very clearly, “These words have carried me my whole life: ‘If God is for you, who can be against you?’ Just remember that God is for you, and you will always be able to know there is no circumstance or person who is bigger than Him or stronger than Him. Say it with me: ‘If God is for me, who can be against me?’” And so I did.

Then we sat quietly, enjoying the beauty together. But since that time so many years ago, I have believed that God is on my side. That He is for me. Those simple words by the apostle Paul—God’s words—have carried me through many life challenges and will continue to do so.

My mother gave me her words, and they have stayed with me my whole life.

Words are like food to our hearts, minds, and souls. They have the potential to shape destinies, inspire courage, and instill character. Words can express assurance of love, shape our emotional health, and lay foundations of truth that hold us fast our whole lives. Words have the power to pass on a legacy of faith.

Jesus himself was called the Word, or the Message. He was God’s Message incarnate, the exact representation of His divine nature. Jesus spoke words of divine truth, and His life affirmed the integrity of His words as He lived them out faithfully. Christ became a model of what my husband and I wanted to do in giving and living our own messages with our children.

As parents, we are stewards of the grace of God to the precious ones He has entrusted into our hands, partnering with Him in forming faith, hope, and love in the children He has placed in our homes. It will happen as you give them your words. And remember, as you seek to offer your words, that God is for you. He is for you, and with you, as you leave a legacy of faith in your children by giving your words.