4. Operate with an accurate view of the Gospel.
Many evangelical parents think of the gospel as helping their kids “ask Jesus into their hearts.” Unfortunately, that concept is not found in Scripture.
What the Scripture talks a lot about are things like the magnitude of our sin, our desperate need for forgiveness at the cross, a sincere repentance—turning away from our old life, and a full commitment to the Lordship of Jesus. I’m not sure that most of our kids can grasp these abstract concepts at seven years old when many of them “get saved.” (I realize that opens up a big old can o’ worms. I plan to explore that further in a later post.)
It is like we have presented our kids with a very incomplete picture of the gospel, one that says you need Jesus so that you can have a peace about eternity and heaven. Then, when you have that box checked off, you are free to do what you want with your life. Blunt as that sounds, it’s what I witness in the attitudes of many church-goers.
Which leads me to a final thing that parents can do …
5. Teach your kids to daily submit themselves to God.
Perhaps the thing that is missing in most of our Christian homes is a fundamental realization that our lives are no longer our own. We have been bought with a price, so our daily pledge must be: “He died for me. I will live for Him.”
That means helping your kids to lay down their wants in order to serve and bless the people with whom they live, work and play. It means training your kids to see that there is a lot more going on in the spiritual world than just what they can see with their own eyes.
It means you asking them, “How does God want to use your life for His purposes?” instead of the standard, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” That subtle change in your wording has huge significance.
It’s not about them. It’s about Jesus and making His name great in the world.
I want to stress that all of this must be done within the context of grace. Your home must be an environment that personifies the love, forgiveness and enduring compassion of Jesus. This is not easy stuff we’re talking about here. Your kids are going to get this wrong. So are you. That’s why our goal should be to be known as gracious parents, not militant ones. We must be known for the second chances we offer our kids (and the third and fourth ones, etc.). God’s love for us is marked by tender mercy and our parenting should always reflect that.
What changes do you need to make in your philosophy of parenting in order to help your kids have a lasting faith?
The needed adjustments may be radical or they may be simple. But every Imperfect and Normal Family needs to keep growing and changing. How is God leading YOU to change today?
