Noah walked with God. Genesis 6:9
As Mrs sat making the list of things to take, things to do, and things to remember, she heard a movement and looked up. Her daughters-in-law were standing in front of her. Seeing from their expressions that something was obviously on their minds, she invited them to sit. One of them seemed to be the spokeswoman. Nervously she asked, “Do you think this is really going to happen?” She wrung her hands as she went on in a trembling voice. “The neighbors are laughing at us. Our husbands are telling u these things and they don’t make any sense. We don’t understand. Even if these things are true, why were we chosen to be the lucky ones? Why are our families going to be destroyed yet we will be saved?”
Mrs talked softly to them. Some things were hard to understand and even harder to explain. How do you explain your confidence in a God they could not see? Mrs had at first struggled with the same questions.
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How do we do those hard things and answer the hard questions? Whether or not Mrs had that conversation, we can be assured of one thing. If we are a parent, at some point we will have a conversation of that sort. So how do we do it?
We live every day in a way that makes us trustworthy and believable to our children. When we mess up, and we will, we apologize…to God and our children. Although we may, and should, get our children involved in church groups and youth activities, that is not the end of our responsibility. While others are good teachers, God has given us the responsibility to teach our children about Him.
From the time they see their first flower, it’s a simple thing. “Look how God made this.” When they see their first rainbow, tell them why it’s there. When someone hurts their feelings or stops being their friend, tell them Jesus understands because He, too, was betrayed.
When they score a goal, or make a touchdown, or a home run, tell them how well they did with the skills God put in them. Tell them He will help them succeed at whatever they do if they will make the effort. When they get good grades or win an award, remind them where their gifts come from. (Ultimately, it’s not from our DNA.)
Make God a part of every important conversation you have. Always tell your children the truth. Ask God for wisdom to have the discussion. I’m reminded of the story of the child who asked her mother where she came from. Her mother, sighing and thinking she wasn’t ready for this talk, gave the entire speech on where babies come from. When she finished, her daughter looked at her and said, “Thanks, Mom, but I just wanted to know if I was born in Ohio. My friend Jenny was born there.” God’s wisdom would have made that conversation easier on both mom and daughter.
Let your children hear you pray. Let your prayers begin with your gratitude toward a loving God who is powerful, compassionate, and merciful, even during the times things look dark and confusing.
Whatever choices your children ultimately make, seeing their parents walk with God will leave a lasting impact that they will not forget.
Noah walked with God and his sons had grown up knowing that. They were delivered from destruction as a result.
For His Glory 