Samuel’s Sons: A Cautionary Tale for Christian Parents. Four Ways to Pass the Faith on to Your Children.

Samuel was faithful to God, yet he failed to pass on that faith to his kids. *Scripture Passage from 1 Samuel 8:1-3, ESV: "When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. Yet his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice."* Christian parents should take this story as a wake-up call. We must pass the faith along to our kids. The wake-up call is this: it’s possible to follow Jesus faithfully and raise kids who do not love Jesus. Even as I write this, I am aware that moms and dads can do everything right, and their kids may still not follow Jesus. People will grow up and make their own choices. However, I am also aware that moms and dads play a pivotal role in pointing their children to the truth of the gospel and can, in fact, make a big difference in the faith formation of their children. As a dad, I want to be intentional and do everything I can to point my kids to the goodness of God and the love of Jesus for them. If they choose not to follow Jesus, that’s their decision, but I don’t want it to be because I was unfaithful in my responsibility.As it relates to the prophet Samuel, we don’t get a whole lot of description about what he was like as a father. So I will be careful not to lean too heavily into this story for dos and don’ts. Instead, as stated above, I think Samuel’s story should serve as a wake-up call or reminder to Christian parents to be intentional about disciplining their kids.

This article will discuss four ways parents can be intentional about discipling their kids and pointing them to the love of God for them.

Number 1 — Follow Jesus Personally and Passionately Yourself

This first one might be the most important one. Make your relationship with Jesus central in your life. Invite your kids into the journey with you. Don’t try to point your children somewhere that you’re not actually going. Instead, let them walk with you. If your kids see that, for you, following God is only about going to church and going through the motions, that will be all the evidence they need to abandon Christianity. Yet, if your kids see that God matters and following Jesus actually makes a real difference in your life, that will serve as a powerful testimony that they should seriously consider the message of Jesus.

Number 2 — Prioritize Christian Community

Another way that we point our kids to Jesus through our actions is by making our family's involvement in Christian community a non-negotiable. This includes things like regular church attendance, participation in small groups and other fellowship activities. When we communicate to our kids that being together with the people of God matters more than other things, that sends a powerful message. Also, it allows your kids to be more and more influenced by those who love God than by those who are either ambivalent to matters of faith or in flat-out opposition. Develop a culture in your family that prioritizes church involvement to the point that it’s never a weekly question about whether we will or won’t attend. These are our people—church, small group, and fellowship are just what we do because it’s who we are. You want that to feel normal in your family, not the exception.

Number 3 — Prioritize Spiritual Disciplines

Another way that you point your kids to Jesus is by prioritizing spiritual disciplines. Spiritual disciplines are regular practices that develop our spiritual life, such as regular times of prayer and Bible reading/study. It’s important that you regularly engage in these spiritual disciplines. When your kids see that your time with God is a non-negotiable for you personally, it communicates to them that following Jesus matters. It also sets a habit for them to imitate. Additionally, it gives you credibility when you talk to them about developing their own spiritual practices. For help in developing these practices in your own life, here’s an article on Bible reading: [5 Tips for Bible Reading](https://www.knoll.org/articles/post/5-ti), and one on prayer: [Learn to Pray](https://www.knoll.org/articles/post/learn-to-pray).

Number 4 — Participate in the Mission of Jesus with Your Kids

The final way that we will discuss in this article is to participate in the mission of Jesus with your kids. Jesus is on a mission in the world, and He has invited the church (each one of us) to participate with Him. Jesus’ mission is to take the goodness of God and the light of the gospel into our dark world. We do this by serving the least of these, pursuing justice, and proclaiming the gospel of Jesus to a world that desperately needs it. Have you found your place in the mission of Jesus? Are you participating? Do your children see you taking that mission seriously? When they do, you, through your actions, communicate to them that the work of God in the world is important work. Even better than simply watching you get involved is your kids having the opportunity to get their hands dirty alongside you. Obviously, depending on your kids’ age and stage of development, you as the parent will need to determine what are the appropriate levels of involvement for your kids. Some aspects of loving and serving people, while necessary, are messy and not appropriate for kids at certain ages, so keep that in mind and calibrate appropriately. That said, your kids getting the opportunity to do real work that makes a real difference in the lives of real people can be transformative for them. Imagine your kids being able to say at a young age, "I know that God has used me to make a difference in this world!" That can be one of the most powerful and transformative moments in a young person’s life. So jump into the mission of Jesus and bring your kids along with you; let them participate!

Closing

God loves you, and God loves your kids! I am convinced that God chose you to be your kids' parents as a gift to you and to your children. God wants to use you as a vehicle to communicate His love for them to them. Life can be busy and hectic and sometimes overwhelming, but don’t let that stop you from taking advantage of the limited window you have to communicate to your kids that following Jesus is the greatest thing they can do. God doesn’t have grandkids. Each person must make the decision to follow Jesus for themselves; you can’t make that decision for your kids. But you can, through the way you live and the choices you make for your family, set the table for them to encounter the love of God in their own lives and encourage them to make the choice to follow Jesus themselves.

Let’s do this!

Pastor Chris