Teaching By Example

“Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.” Proverbs 17:6

Today I watched my two granddaughters head out to play a round of golf with their two grandfathers. Pappy, my husband, is from California, and Papa, whose birthday happens to be today, is from Georgia. These two wonderful men are helping shape the lives of these two precious young ladies, and I couldn’t help but feel such great joy in my heart as they drove to the golf course.

Neither my husband nor I was raised in a Christian home, so in a sense we are “first-generation Christians for our families. On the opposite end of the spectrum, my daughter’s in-laws were brought up in homes that have been well-grounded in the faith for generations.

When I look at our grandchildren, I see a blend of social cultures (one from the bustling suburbs of Los Angeles, and one from the quiet countryside of rural Georgia) and ethnic heritages (Scottish-Irish-English-Scandinavian-Japanese).  But there is more to it than just the familial backgrounds of the girls.

I also see the melding of a common faith that has been nurtured and passed on from both sets of grandparents. As our grandchildren grow, I see in them a faith that is developing its own ground, where one day, if the Lord should tarry, they will pass that same faith to their own children and their children’s children!

My husband and I also have a special relationship with our grandchildren’s paternal grandparents. We all worship together in the same church, and often do things together outside of church, like meeting for lunch or celebrating a birthday or holiday as a family. But there is more than our common grandchildren that makes us a family.

We are all part of the family of God. While we do have a physical bond through our grandchildren, we also have an eternal bond through Jesus, God’s Son. Each of us has professed a faith in Christ for the forgiveness of sins and an acceptance of Him as our Saviour. There is no greater joy in life than to see your children and grandchildren receive Jesus as their personal Saviour. There is no greater responsibility or privilege for a parent or grandparent than to nurture that faith and help each generation grow in their relationship with the Lord.

I love to tell the story of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and his glory, of Jesus and his love.
I love to tell the story because I know ’tis true;
It satisfies my longings as nothing else could do.

I love to tell the story, for those who know it best
Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.
And when in scenes of glory I sing the new, new song,
‘Twill be the old, old story that I have loved so long.

I love to tell the story; ’twill be my theme in glory
To tell the old, old story of Jesus and his love.

(from “I Love to Tell the Story” by Kate Hankey and William Fischer)

“We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.” Psalm 78:4

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Has Jesus made a difference in your life? Why not tell your grandchildren how He did it?