Skip to main content

A Faith Worth Passing Down

May 16, 2012


Read | 2 Timothy 1:3-5

The most precious thing we can pass down to children is our faith--the confident conviction that God is who He says and will do all He has promised. Timothy's strong relationship with Christ didn't materialize out of thin air; it grew as a result of his mother and grandmother's example.
Here are ways we, too, can hand down a rich legacy to the next generation:
  1. Teach practical biblical principles. Kids need to know God's views on material wealth (Ps. 24:1), meeting needs (Phil. 4:19), and direction in life (Prov. 3:5-6).
  2. Model character through lifestyle. How we live--whether with transparency, peace, and perseverance, or with fear, anxiety, and self-reliance--loudly communicates what we believe about God.
  3. Serve God by serving others. Actions show that our faith is real (James 2:26). If we want kids not to develop a self-centered perspective, servanthood is key.
  4. Intercede for them. Children won't forget hearing us pray regularly for them.
  5. Communicate love. Young people need to know we love them the way God loves us--unconditionally rather than based on what they do or don't do. Spoken words of love breathe life into their hearts. And as we affirm them for trusting God, they see that we value their spiritual growth.
As parents, we must be intentional about leading and inspiring our sons and daughters to follow Christ. But even those without children of their own can leave a legacy. The example to follow is Paul: though neither married nor a natural parent, he was a spiritual father to many (1 Cor. 4:14-16).

God bless you !!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

La amistad: Ayuda para la santidad

Leer | JUAN 15.12-15 20 de julio de 2012 Cuando Dios creó todo, solo una cosa no tuvo su aprobación. Miró a Adán, quien era el único ser en su clase, y dijo: “No es bueno que el hombre esté solo” (Gn 2.18). El Señor creó a las personas para que tuvieran compañerismo emocional, mental y físico, de modo que pudieran compartir su ser más íntimo unas con otras. Jesús explicó esto a sus discípulos, diciéndoles que debían amarse unos a otros tal como Él los había amado. En una amistad que honra a Dios, dos personas se edifican mutuamente y se animan una a otra a tener un carácter como el de Cristo. Sin embargo, muchas no logran entablar y mantener relaciones que estimulen su fe (Pr 27.17). Lo que hacen es hablar trivialidades propias de simples conocidos: el clima y los asuntos mundiales. Lamentablemente, también los creyentes rehúyen la conversación profunda en cuanto al pecado, la conducta transparente y la vida de acuerdo con los parámetros bíblicos, que servirían para enriquecer ...

Reverenfun

The Danger in Being a Christian: It began as a Jewish sect; fierce persecution only helped it spread

Acts 8 Acts 8:1 On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. In some countries, a person who becomes a Christian forfeits a good education and job. And in a few countries, a person who converts risks his or her life. One church historian estimates that more Christians were martyred in the twentieth century than in all preceding centuries put together. Yet, strangely, more often than not, intense persecution of Christians leads to a spurt of growth in the church. An ancient saying expresses this phenomenon: “The blood of martyrs is the seed of the church.” The First Big Advance For a while, the new faith enjoyed popular favor. But very soon it involved grave risk. In the book of Acts, the persecution that produced the first Christian martyr, Stephen, ironically brought about the advance of Christianity outside its Jewish base. Forced out of stormy Jerusalem, the scatterin...