Here are three good ways to point your children to Christ.
Modeling Christ
I believe it is true: More is caught
than taught. Not that we shouldn’t teach our children, but from the
child’s perspective it’s like this: “I can’t hear what you are saying because
what you are doing is drowning it out.” Children can see through
hypocrisy a mile away. When children see their parents loving one another
and loving those who might even treat them disdainfully, they are taught, by
example, how they are to treat others. Show them that our love for others
is not dependent upon how others treat us because God loved us while we were
still His enemies and living in sin (Romans 5:8, 10). When parents live
out the Word of God, it’s impossible for children not to see it; but when they
see their parents act one way at church and then live differently at home, they
destroy their testimony for Christ.
Reading the Word
I don’t know how many times my children would
catch me reading my Bible. When they come to me, I would never say,
“Well, I’m too busy right now reading my Bible” but if they see a regular
pattern of Bible reading, it is my hope that they will see just how
important daily Bible reading is for me. And hopefully, long after I
am gone from this earth, they will remember that their dad was a consistent,
regular Bible reader and that since I thought it was essential in my life, they
too will see the importance of staying in the Word every day.
Praying Consistently
The old saying “the family that prays
together, stays together” is absolutely true. Bill Bright once
estimated that daily prayer, led by the parents, lessens the likelihood of
divorce; and when families stay together, the chances are so much greater that
when their children marry, they’ll stay together, too. When families pray
together, their children will be more likely to pray after they leave their
homes and begin their own families. Prayer shows children the importance
of keeping in daily contact with God and that they need God’s guidance and
direction in their lives and that they must depend on God for everything in
life. If God is aware of even the tiny sparrow that falls to the ground
(Matthew 10:29), we can know and we can show our children (and grandchildren)
that God cares about every facet of their lives and that they must be relying
on Him for even the smallest details in their daily living experiences.
Conclusion
Parents can increase the chances of their
children coming to saving faith in Jesus Christ by confessing their own faults,
by showing the love of God even to those who don’t deserve it, by staying in
the Word of God and showing the importance of the Bible in their lives, and by
staying in constant communication with the God Who loves them even more than
their parents do. Of course, it doesn’t guarantee they’ll be saved, but it does
improve their chances of seeking Christ and His kingdom, even after you’re long
gone.
