How to Prepare Your Children for Spiritual Exploits

 Many of us have met or heard of ‘preachers’ kids’ who ended up on the wrong side of the law. Some were imprisoned for drug-related offences, robbery and other crimes. Some took to a life of drug abuse; gender violence and the like. When you encounter such personalities, you wonder how their ‘godly’ fathers or mothers allowed them to stray so far from the truth. I was born into a ‘Christian family’ as well, and my parents were lay preachers in the Methodist Church. I can’t honestly say that they bequeathed to me a worthy Christian legacy.

I inherited religion from them and I am sure many of us can relate. It is both a spiritual and physical law that you cannot give people what you don’t have. My parents had a religious encounter and that was what I inherited from them. This meant that I only heard about God, but did not have any relationship with Him until my early thirties. That also meant that I lived a life that was not consistent with Scriptural principles until I met God personally much later in life.

 Should that be the norm? Certainly not! What would have happened to me if death had knocked on my door while I was wallowing in sin because my parents did not raise me in the fear and nurture of the Lord? (Ephesians 6:4). I would certainly have ended up in the lake of fire with the devil and his demons because of lack of parental care. Yes. That is what the neglect of the spiritual nurturing of our children is in actuality- lack of parental care. Buying them expensive toys and allowing them to have their way in every situation are not godly expressions of genuine love. Parents who fail to train and disciple their children according to the dictates of Scripture actually hate them. In Hebrews 12:6, we are told that God disciplines those He loves, and chastises every son He receives”. I would panic if God allows me to do anything I want! That would be a sure sign that I have entered into perdiction- lost to Him forever!

          Romans 1:24-26 give us the pen picture of those God has given up on: “So God let these people go their own way. They did what they wanted to do, and their filthy thoughts made them do shameful things with their bodies. They gave up the truth about God for a lie, and they worshipped God’s creation instead of God, who will be praised forever. Amen. God let them follow their own evil desires. Women no longer wanted to have sex in a natural way, and they did things with each other that were not natural. Men behaved in the same way. They stopped wanting to have sex with women and had strong desires for sex with other men. They did shameful things with each other, and what has happened to them is punishment for their foolish deeds”.

         It is a fact that homosexuality, lesbianism and other sexual perversions are not the only sins that lead to the pollution of the soul and eternal death in hell. No man will go to hell because he lived an immoral life. People go to hell for rejecting God’s perfect plan for salvation. Revelation 21:8, 27 state: But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death”. We are also told in 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 that “God will punish those who do not know Him and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the LORD and from the majesty of His power”.

So, knowing how dreadful hell is, based on the picture painted by Scriptures, what should we do to prepare our children for eternal life? If we truly love them, should we not be concerned about their eternal fate? In this write-up, we highlight some practical things believers can do to build up their children spiritually.

In an article titled, 4 Ways to Pass Down a Spiritual Legacy, Kathy Howard gave the following recipe for building a lasting spiritual legacy at home:

1. Start with yourself- The best way to prove to your children the value and relevance of faith in Christ is to be a living demonstration of that truth. If we compartmentalize our faith or allow our priorities to get out of whack, they’ll ‘learn’ that Christ isn’t really all that important. But, if we make Christ central in our lives, if we diligently foster our relationship with Him and entrench God’s word in our hearts, the children will learn that life is all about Jesus. Don’t be afraid to live in front of your kids- all the great, exciting, difficult, and messy part. They will see that your faith is real, authentic and relevant;
2. Give them God’s Word- In a recent survey conducted in the United States, 24% of millennial (adults aged 18-29) said they were ‘sceptical’ of the Bible. Almost a quarter of America’s young adult believe the Bible is just a book written by men full of stories and advice. We can stop this growing trend by teaching our children to know and love God’s word. We must be purposeful. We cannot leave it solely to the church. Make a plan- have family devotions, read Bible stories at bedtime, play worship music that comes straight from Scripture, develop a family Scripture memory programme. Instil God’s truth in their hearts any way you can. As you walk along the road, shine God’s Word on all the daily circumstances of their lives.
3. Tell Your Family’s Stories – Share the stories that tell of God’s miraculous activity around you and of His faithfulness to you and your family. Weave them into the fabric of your family history. Do not let yourself or your children forget. You can help them remember these God stories with spiritual markers. A spiritual marker identifies a time of decision when you clearly know that God guided you; and
4. Stand Firm in Shaky Times – Trials not only work our faith, they can also prove that our faith works. If you make the truth of God’s Word the bedrock for your life, when difficulty comes, you will stand firm. An unshakable faith in shaky times is the most effective testimony you can give your children.

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association also gives parents nuggets on how to build up their children spiritually. The group advises parents to pray often for their families. Specifically, they are to ask God to give their children and grandchildren a sense of purpose, direction and mission. Parents are also enjoined to share God’s word and its truths with their kids, as well as study the Bible with them. Most importantly, parents must be example of believers to their children.

* Some materials sourced from
https://www.kathyhoward.org and
https://www.billygraham.org.