A God for Gen Z

Every parent wants their kids to have a better life than their own. We want them to succeed. We want them to be happy, safe.

Yet so many things in this world fight against that. The worry list is long for a parent: wars abroad and wars at home, invisible illnesses that do door-to-door battle, technological advances that make life easier but make us more vulnerable.

Our children aren’t ready, we say. They aren’t strong enough. They shouldn’t have to face this.

But the God who helped us fight the battles of our days is the same God who will help our children fight theirs. His plan hasn’t expired. His strength hasn’t faded.

Solomon, my son, worship God and obey him with all your heart and mind, just as I have done. He knows all your thoughts and your reasons for doing things, and so if you turn to him, he will hear your prayers. But if you ignore him, he will reject you forever.

1 Chronicles 28:9 (CEV)

In 1 Chronicles 28, King David is preparing to hand over the throne to his son, Solomon. David had done what he could, what the Lord had called him to do for the nation, including winning wars to secure the land. He wanted to then build the Temple for the Lord, but God stopped him. God told David it was not his work to do. So David prepared as he could but then handed the project over to his son. The Lord gave Solomon the wisdom and resources to do it.

But David cautioned Solomon that his success as the next king depended on Solomon’s trust in and obedience to God. Solomon heeds this advice and God blesses him. You, as a parent, can apply the same words of wisdom as you guide your children in the way they should go.

We have no way of knowing what our children will face. But we can know the God who will bring them through, and we can introduce them to him.

The most important thing for us then is to not fumble the baton in passing the knowledge of the Lord to the next runners. We must teach them to look to God for their salvation. May our kids see us acknowledge him in every triumph, confess to him in every failure, see him at every crossroad. Seeing them trust him when we can’t help them is the most deeply reassuring reward.

PRAY

Lord, I’m terrified of sending my child into the battles of today. But I’ve seen you work in my life to make me an overcomer, and I trust you will in their lives. May they be your strong warriors. Amen.

TIME TO TALK

Conversation starter for kids: Provides you with questions and prompts to facilitate a time of applicable discussion with children to lead them towards knowing God and His Word more deeply.

Question(s): What hard things have you seen me go through? Do you know how God helped me?

Apply: Ask your child this and then have them ask you. Do all you can to share with them your experience of journeying with Christ.

KEEP IT GOING

Related passages: These additional verses will help parents expand Scriptural knowledge and place on the armor of God’s Word to tackle each day. Swipe to read the passages today.

Psalm 22:31

Psalm 119:90