Building a Powerful History

Pointing to the book she saw in my car, my daughter asked “Is it any good?” “Yes, it really is!” She came back: “Don’t you sometimes feel like all of the studies you read say the same thing, only they just word it a different way?” What an open door! I shared with her the new truth I had read just that morning in the very familiar story of creation. With the help of a Bible study, I had seen for the first time that God brought Eve to Adam so that Adam would know she was the perfect gift from God to meet his need of companionship. A new truth in an old story.

For children who have grown up in a Christian family, the Word of God can seem “old hat”. They’ve heard the stories before; know the characters, know the lessons. So how can we as their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and youth workers keep it fresh and exciting? They need to hear our stories of how it impacts us each day. They need to see character in us. They need to witness it at work in our lives. As we share these stories of how He speaks to us, they begin to see how He speaks. The next step will be them beginning to see Him speaking to them.

For some of us, that transition doesn’t come smoothly. Some of our children will go through a season when the history they are writing doesn’t include God. I still believe that as they watch us, hopefully walking in love and the fruit of the Spirit, they will not be able to deny that He is real and one day say for themselves that He is their way, their truth and their life as well!

Judges 2:10 “After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel.”

Lord, I pray that I will cause my children to remember. May I continually share my stories with my children. Most of all, Father, write new stories with our children so that they have their own history with you!”

Do you have some God-stories in your life that you are passing down to your children? What avenues have you found to share Him in the everyday life with your children? We would love to hear how you are doing that! Please click on comment below and share your stories.

Lynn

2 Comments

  1. What a thought provoking post–unlike my favorite mayo!!!!! (Leave the tomatoes on the vine a little longer and make sure they get full sun:)

    Actually, I've been thinking about this very thing and praying about it lately. The boys see me having my quiet time. We talk about random things in the Bible. They attend church, Sunday School,youth,and listen to Christian music. My husband is a Christian too, so they hear and see it from both of us. But, as Lysa said in her talk at SS, do they get it?

    I pray each day that God places a desire in their hearts to read His Word and grow closer to Him. We can only plant the seeds. I pray that as they grow, those seeds will be harvested in a mighty, glorifying way for His kingdom. As they grow older, I do question myself in that have I done all that I should have done? I simply have to place it in the Lord's hands and remember that HE loves them more than their Daddy and I.

    Didn't mean to keep going!! HOpe y'all have a wonderful weekend!
    Hugs!
    Susan

  2. I heard something the other day that I agree with and this is it. What is missing in Christian homes and in our churches and in our S.S. classes and in lots of our involvement with Christian kids is: making sure that they know the Bible is a book of history. Real, life history. When they go out into what we Christians call the "real world" they also run into trouble because don't know how to defend their faith in a way that is believable to themselves first and then so they can defend it to their peers. Kids not raised in Christian homes view our Bible stories as just that…stories.

    No condemnation from me. Seriously, hooray to all of you Christian parents who try so hard to do the right things. You are the ones living right in the trenches of daily life with them. I think you're doing a "great work."

    Linda Blanford

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