Passing the Baton
Theme of the week: How to Raise Successful Children
Thursday, April 19, 2012
 1 of 1
Key Bible Verse: Train children to live the right way, and when they are old, they will not stray from it. (Proverbs 22:6, NCV) Dig Deeper: Deuteronomy 11:1, 18-19
As a Christian parent, I want my children to know my God and live a life of faith.
Edith Schaeffer in her book What Is a Family?, observed that the family is where principles are established in the midst of everyday life, where character is forged under the watchful eyes of caring parents, and most important, where the baton of faith is passed to the next generation.
In the context of the everyday, through the rhythms of life's joys and disappointments, your child will see your faith. He will notice how you handle difficulties. She will observe the way you react to pressure.
Your belief in God is most effectively "caught, not taught" within the relationships and safety of family. Your child will, whether you like it or not, tend to imitate your priorities in life—including the importance of personal faith.
Researcher Christian Smith studied the traits of religious American teenagers who retain a high faith commitment as emerging adults. His findings indicate that, for better or worse, parents are tremendously important in shaping their children's faith trajectory.
Dad, if you have a personal faith, do all you can to help your child know God.
—John Fuller in First-Time Dad
My Response: In what ways do I see my children imitating my priorities? Do I like what I see?
Thought to Apply: Train up a child in the way he should go—but be sure you go that way yourself.—Charles Spurgeon (British preacher)
Adapted from First-Time Dad (Moody, 2011) by permission. All rights reserved by the copyright holder and/or the publisher. May not be reproduced.
Copyright © 2012 by Christianity Today/Men of Integrity magazine. Click here for reprint information on Men of Integrity. 1 of 1
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Father, forgive me when my expectations for my kids reflect my own definition of success rather than yours; help me to more consistently model for my family what it means to be a sincere Christ-follower.
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