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Sometime in the mid-60’s A.D., the Apostle Paul wrote what would be his last letter to be included in the canon of Scripture. It is his second letter to Timothy, a young protégé in ministry who was serving as pastor to the church in Ephesus. While it contains important instructions regarding the functions of the local church, it is also a heartfelt letter from a man nearing his martyrdom for Christ to a young man undoubtedly struggling with a difficult task. The opening words of that letter express Paul’s strong affections toward his apprentice in the faith and his good friend. He then records the recollection of how Timothy’s faith came into being. “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well” (2 Timothy 1:5). This verse explains that personal faith decisions leave an indelible mark on others, particularly those within our own families. Parents make an incredible impact upon their children in all matters, particularly when it comes to the patterns of our faith. However, it is not just the children we raise, but perhaps more so their children, upon whom we will have the greatest influence.
In a recent article by Pastor Daryl Crouch, this very point is expounded. He writes:
The biggest question is not, “Do our children follow Jesus?” The better question is, “Are we investing in our children in a way that will make it likely that our grandchildren will follow Jesus?” That question changes how we view the church and how we lead our children to participate in the mission of God.
Make no mistake about it, our rhythms and routines actually shape the heart of our children and set the spiritual trajectory for our grandchildren. Many Christian parents, however, still assume that a nominal commitment to the local church will give their kids just enough Jesus to get into heaven and just enough to keep them out of trouble on earth. We assume the primary goal of parenting is to produce well-rounded, socially-elevated, academically-stellar, and athletically-accomplished children who will give a nod to the moral framework of Christianity. Nominal Christians, however, do not produce nominal Christians. Nominal Christians produce nonChristians.
One current illustration of how this new parental rhythm plays out is in the decision of many Christian parents to enroll their children in programs that routinely take them out of church on Sunday mornings and keep them relationally disconnected from their church family. Parents are, in essence, catechizing their children to prioritize and pursue excellence in other endeavors to the neglect of the body and mission of Christ. Too often, parental motivation at this point is not to lead their children to live for eternity, but to encourage a pursuit of a feigned significance that will leave them wanting.
This dangerous pattern of the decline of faith is chronicled in the history of Israel. King David passionately pursued the Lord God. Yet, his own moral failings led to the raising of children who did not share his passionate faith. His son, Solomon, would be described as a nominal follower of God at best. Rehoboam, David’s grandson, would go on to lead the entire nation into division and apostasy.
I believe most of us are praying for our children to follow the Lord. However, perhaps we should begin praying for the generation that follows them. For if that generation follows Christ passionately, surely those directly behind us have followed our lead. Faith in Christ employs a rope. One cannot push with a rope; one can only pull. How are our daily “rhythms and routines” of the faith pulling future generations to follow Christ?
Jason