5 Ways Parents Can Pass Their Faith to Their Children

1. Be the Example

Children live what they learn. The best way to exemplify true faith is to live it out for themselves. While there's no hard and fast rule as to what makes a child follow in their parents' footsteps when it comes to faith, it is important for children to see their parents living out their faith in tangible ways. Kids who become strong Christians as adults have similar practices like attending church regularly, reading the Word, praying, practicing spiritual disciplines, etc. You can tell your kids Bible stories, clap on beat to the worship music, and take notes of the sermon, but if your life doesn't change from what you see, hear, and experience, your kids will likely not follow in your footsteps. Information does not lead to transformation. However, the application of information does. When we are not only reading the Word, but doing what it says and allowing it to make us more like Christ, kids can see that. Then faith will be more attractive to them, and they will want to become more like us in the end.

2. Teach Them the Word

Although living out the Word is the best way to pass on your faith, they won't know what to live out if they don't have a basic knowledge of the Word. Even if you didn't read the Word to your children when they were small, it's never too late to teach them. Offer to do a Bible study with them. Each week, get together and discuss a chapter of the Bible. If your child has no working knowledge of the Bible, starting in the New Testament is best because the Old Testament can become a boring historical account. John is a great place to start because it describes who God is: "In the beginning was the Word… (John 1)" is a great place to start when it comes to the Bible. Buy a commentary on the book of John and read what it says under chapter one. What do scholars believe these words mean? What do you think is the meaning of these words?

Another great way to study the Word together is through an inductive Bible study. The inductive Bible study method is completed with three steps:

Observation: What do you see in the passage?

Interpretation: What does the passage mean?

Application: What do we do with what we learned in the passage?

While some parts of the Bible may be difficult to live out in modern times, we can at least understand the culture behind which it was written. It's important to understand the cultural background of each passage instead of just reading Scripture. I learned to read and study the Word for ourselves as well as consult commentaries so we can have a good, overarching understanding of the Bible in its correct context.

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3. Discern the Voice of God

One of the most exhilarating experiences a Christian can have is when they learn to hear the voice of God. Discernment is a great tool to have in the church because it helps people apply Scripture to modern-day experiences through the gift of wisdom but also discern what the right thing to do is in their lives not based on feelings. One way to help us in times of trouble is to hear from God directly. There are many ways we can hear the voice of God in our lives: the Word of God, his people, an inaudible voice, an audible voice, a picture or a vision in the mind's eye, a sense or a "gut feeling," etc. When we learn to understand how God speaks to us, we can understand the way he speaks. God speaks to us more than we realize. We must be more in tune with what God is saying. The Holy Spirit is living and active in our lives and wants to speak to us. We must learn to discern what that looks like for us. The more we hear the voice of God and are obedient to it, the more we will learn how to allow the Holy Spirit to order our steps.

4. Be Missional

Culture has shifted in our world today as younger generations tend to become selfish. The more kids can realize we are equipped within the church to be the hands and feet of Jesus, the more they will live out their faith. Everyone, including the younger generations, wants to know what they are doing is making a difference in the world. There is no greater way to impact the world than by helping those in need. It can be people who are missionaries in foreign countries, but it can also be as local as your community. In whatever ways you choose to become more missional, seek God to show you people who need to hear from Him. Offer to pray for them. Ask the Lord to speak to you during that time. If the Lord speaks, tell them what you hear. Ask them if that resonates with them. If it does, you have allowed them to see that God wants to speak. If it doesn't, understand that this is a process and that God is not required to speak simply because you ask him. Only God knows people's hearts. He may know if that person is cut off from hearing the Word of God or not. All we can do is obey what we hear and live our lives living out God's mission.

Part of being missional is allowing God to provide for our needs. In Luke 9, God sent out his disciples two-by-two to go out into the communities preaching, healing the sick, and driving out demons. There were some that were going to listen to them. However, some did not. For those who did want to listen to them, these were the people God would bless. For those who didn't want to listen to God, it was up to God to seek his justice as he saw fit. Seek to hear from God and be obedient to him. Leave the rest up to him.

5. Pray

Not only should we be teaching the Word of God, but when we've done all we can to pass on our knowledge and live out our faith and tangible ways in front of them, it is best to simply pray and surrender our children to Him. Kids are going to do what they're going to do when they get to be adults. All we can do is our best to live out the Christian life. Kids whose lives and hearts are yielded to God will do well all the days of their lives. Kids steeped in rebellion, however, will live a life in bondage. Do your best to teach them the way, but in the end, they will choose which way they want to go. Ask the Lord to protect them, provide for them, and show them who he is in unique and incredible ways. Give them over to God and allow him to be Lord of their lives.

Living an authentic life is one thing; passing on your faith to your children is quite another. Do what you can do to pass on your faith. Live out your example, be missional, teach them the Word, pray, and surrender your children to him. Watch the Lord work in ways in your children's lives that you may never have been able to do for them by your own merits.