Returning to the Lord
Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6)
Many of us who are parents have children who have walked away from the Lord. It is a tough place to be there. Watching your children make poor decisions is no easy task. As you see them make mistakes, you might start to think back over the years and try to pinpoint where you went wrong. You wonder what you could have done differently to prevent your children from putting their faith on the back burner.
Proverbs 22:6 is a promise all parents should cling to, but it can be difficult to believe when your child seems to have departed from his training. You begin to question if your child will ever return to the Lord.
Several years ago, my father-in-law gave my wife some great parenting advice. He said, “Honey, I know as a parent, you’ve done the best that you can do. If you think about it, the greatest father that Israel could have ever had was the Father. He was the perfect Father, but Israel still rebelled.”
You can do all the right things, but you could still have a child who chooses to go their own way, for their own glory and their own agenda. As the old saying goes, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.”
You can do two very important things during a period like this. The first thing is that you must continue to be an example to your children in your own walk with God. Whether they admit it or not, your children are watching you. They are looking to see if you practice what you preach, and if you are living out your own faith. Be diligent in setting a godly example for your children by the way you act, speak, and relate to others.
The second thing is to continue to pray for your children. From your vantage point, nothing may seem to be changing or progressing in your child’s life. Only God can see what is happening in someone’s heart. You never know how the Lord could be working in someone else’s life. Even when you can’t see any evidence of growth, change, or remorse; keep praying for your children. Ask God to do an incredible, redemptive work in their lives.
Many of us who are parents have children who have walked away from the Lord. It is a tough place to be there. Watching your children make poor decisions is no easy task. As you see them make mistakes, you might start to think back over the years and try to pinpoint where you went wrong. You wonder what you could have done differently to prevent your children from putting their faith on the back burner.
Proverbs 22:6 is a promise all parents should cling to, but it can be difficult to believe when your child seems to have departed from his training. You begin to question if your child will ever return to the Lord.
Several years ago, my father-in-law gave my wife some great parenting advice. He said, “Honey, I know as a parent, you’ve done the best that you can do. If you think about it, the greatest father that Israel could have ever had was the Father. He was the perfect Father, but Israel still rebelled.”
You can do all the right things, but you could still have a child who chooses to go their own way, for their own glory and their own agenda. As the old saying goes, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.”
You can do two very important things during a period like this. The first thing is that you must continue to be an example to your children in your own walk with God. Whether they admit it or not, your children are watching you. They are looking to see if you practice what you preach, and if you are living out your own faith. Be diligent in setting a godly example for your children by the way you act, speak, and relate to others.
The second thing is to continue to pray for your children. From your vantage point, nothing may seem to be changing or progressing in your child’s life. Only God can see what is happening in someone’s heart. You never know how the Lord could be working in someone else’s life. Even when you can’t see any evidence of growth, change, or remorse; keep praying for your children. Ask God to do an incredible, redemptive work in their lives.
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4 Comments
I have experience this with my grandkids. I have talked to I'm blue in the face, bought devotionals, sent devotionals, & sometimes they get angry. As hard as it is, I finally said LORD I've planted the seeds, please continue working in their lives. I know LORD you are the only one who can change them. I will continue to pray until my last breath.
My son's inlaws are catholic and I used to give everyone religious cards on their birthdays. My daughter-in-law's sister chided me about it once so I quit. My son told me I shouldn't quit giving something inspirational because of that. I need to inspire them because of Jesus And keep praying for them all. I will pray for my son to return back to Jesus and be an example for his family
Thank You for this devotional. PRAISE The Lord Jesus.
We have two grandsons that have walked away from their faith all we can do is praying for them and turn them over to God