Little baby sleeping quietly, resting in your mothers arms, how can we impart to you the joy of knowing your Creator? How can we encourage you to grow up to not only know your Savior, but to follow Him all the days of your life?

Young eager student, sitting in your nursery class, how can we teach you the ABC’s of the faith? How can we share with you the wonderful knowledge that you have a Heavenly Father who loves you?

School aged child, what can we do to further your friendship with your God? How can we help you learn to share your budding faith with others? How can we help you learn to talk with Him as Friend, Father and Faithful leader?

Middle-school young person—in between so many things. How can we help you walk with your Lord in such a way that will cause you to make good decisions for your health, your soul and your spirit? How can we encourage you to read His Word for the Life it will impart?

Senior High Youth—learning about the world through so many means. How can we help you to influence that world by trusting in our God who loves you so much and wants to use you change this fallen world in which you are growing.

College age Adult—so much potential, so many choices, so many around you who have already succumbed to addictions and substitutions for “real” life, how can we help you discover the real life that comes from following our Real God?

These questions are ultimately asking, 'How do we pass on a living vital faith to the next generation? How can we best become suppliers of the joint (Ephesians 4:16) for our children?

The primary responsibility to ‘train up a child in the way he should go”(Proverbs 22:6) is on each parents shoulders. Love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. Teach them to your children, and talk about them when you sit at home and walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Deut. 6:5,7 (New Century Version) However, every family can use help. We also have children in our churches whose parents are unbelievers. These children need our attention as well. How can we, as Christian influencers, help carry the burden for these parents? The first step is in maintaining our heart to heart relationship with the Lord ourselves. We can’t pass on what we don’t have. If we want our children to have a passion for God, then we need to have that same passion. Our children need to see us worshipping Him, reading and studying His Word, talking about who He is to us. This is the first step. When I refer to “our children”, I do not simply mean our biological children—but any child within our sphere of influence.

As we read the following scriptures: 13 People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16 And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them. Mark 10:13(NIV)

Jesus had spent time with His disciples in the preceding chapter explaining 42 “And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck. But it is apparent that these disciples did not grasp the heart of what Jesus was trying to teach them. We see that Jesus viewed these caring parents and children differently than His disciples. He saw them as important. He saw them as valuable. He saw them for their potential. What is our view of the little ones around us? Do we tolerate them? Or do we honor them? Do we see them as individuals that have a destiny to fulfill for our Heavenly Father? Do we see ourselves as helping to promote that destiny? From this scripture, we understand “do not hinder them”. How could we inadvertently hinder the children whom we desire to influence?

One of the main hindrances to influencing children in walking with the Lord is to become focused on the outward religious form instead of helping them develop their relationship with the Lord. Sharing with them the reasons behind why we read the Bible, pray, go to church, live our life in obedience to His commands. The best focus is not to institute a fear relationship, but one of the joy of loving obedience. Emphasizing the blessing of obedience—that God has the best plan and if we follow it, we will have the best life possible helps draw our children to the goodness of the Lord. Avoiding hypocrisy, inconsistency in our commitment and keeping our motives pure will help promote their relationship with Him. Deuteronomy 6:7 encourages us to speak of the “law of the Lord” during the natural course of life. Psalm 19 reminds us that the law of the Lord is perfect, the commandments of the Lord are right and rejoicing to the heart. As leaders, we must model these thoughts.

However, it is one thing to not hinder the little children from coming to the Lord, but how could we encourage them to run to Him. How can we help them not just have “fire insurance” to keep them from hell, but to become active believers who seek to be God pleasers. Darryl and I have met many believers who, unfortunately for many reasons, their children have up till now, chosen not to walk with the Lord. This is so grievous for the parents as well as the children. Perhaps their taste of Christianity has not been well prepared. Fortunately, God’s grace is abundant and He is moving to draw back those who stray or to provide salt for the bitter waters.

How can we encourage our children to know our God?

• Help your child develop a sense that they are part of the church. Include them in ministry as much as possible. Encourage them to pray for others, show them how they can support the things Mom or Dad are doing in the ministry.

• Do not make them ministry orphans. Make sure their needs are met: emotionally, spiritually and physically. In previous generations, families were encouraged to put God first, the ministry second and then families. Many of those offspring chose not to follow the Lord.

• Pray for wisdom in your parenting, to understand how each of your children’s personality, talents and gifts could be nurtured.

• Learn to walk in the same grace God gives you toward your children. Do not expect more of them than they are able to give due to their season of life.

• Love them unconditionally.

• Model forgiveness toward yourself, your children and others.

Written by: Martha Rodman