Title: Discipleship Part 2: The Reward
Date:
Discipleship Part 2: The Reward
I am asked quite a bit about how to get kids to own their faith. As parents, we raise our kids to believe what we believe, but at some point, they have to own their faith for themselves. The question is….
How do I help them do that?
I wish I had the easy answer to tell you exactly what to do, but I don’t. What I do have is a few ideas that can help encourage your kids to own their faith.
Let Your Kids See Your Faith
I grew up with a single mom and things weren’t always easy. I remember my mom struggling to pick up overtime shifts to help pay for things and being stressed out because she was trying to be a mom and a dad at the same time. There are many things I remember about my mom during these times, but one of the things that always sticks with me is her faith that God had everything covered. She read her Bible every day and did her daily devotions. She would do these in front of my brother and me so we knew that when things were going well, she thanked God. When things were tough, she thanked God. It was amazing to see. I won’t tell you that I admitted to my mom what a great role model she was at the time. I would do that later, but I was always watching and I was always paying attention to how her faith was at the center of everything she did.
Don’t Be Discouraged
Discipling children is not something that always pays off right away. Sometimes, it takes years before you begin to see the fruits of all of that hard work. Do not let that discourage you, but be encouraged that you are doing what God asked you to do and let God do the rest.
A few years ago, I was having a conversation with my mother regarding my brother and me. My mom has been stricken with Alzheimer’s disease and does not remember much, but at this time, she remembered who we were, but lost track of some of the others details like if were we married, what we did for a living, if we had kids, etc. She asked questions regarding where we lived and what we were doing, but her main concern was whether or not we were following Jesus. When I told her we were, she couldn’t stop crying. She was filled with joy because we are still Jesus followers. Out of all her questions, that was the most important thing to her. As Christian parents, it should be our most important part too.
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. – Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Your partner in ministry,
Jeff Brown
Family Life Pastor
