Planting Seeds of Faith in Your Children

Most of us have heard Christ’s parable of the farmer sowing the seed, found in Matthew 13:3-9 and 18-23. The story talks about different types of soil and how the seed (or the Word of God) thrives in various conditions. We can learn a great deal from this parable, particularly regarding the condition of our hearts and minds when receiving the seed, or Word of God into our hearts.

However, as a parent reading this parable, let’s take a different approach, placing yourself in the position of the sower instead of relating only to the conditions of the soil. As a Christian parent your primary task is to sow seeds of faith into the hearts and minds of your children.

This is a big responsibility. But don’t let it be a source of stress, because along with any task, comes the grace of God that will empower us to fulfill it.

Pray About It

As you recognize and step into your responsibility to sow seeds of faith into your child’s life, you may wonder exactly how you should go about it. The first step , of course, is to pray about it. As you seek God and make yourself available to sow into your child’s life, you will find that God will bring the opportunities and the instructions your way. All He really asks is that you are willing.

Children Learn By Example
The best way to teach your children is by your actions. As you may have noticed, children are like little chameleons, always learning and always imitating. As you seek God for faith to spring up in your children, He will provide the opportunities for you to be a living example of the way faith operates. As your children observe you turning to God for strength, healing, direction, and fellowship, a foundation of faith will be laid in their lives as well.
What if I Fail?
Many parents don’t ever begin teaching their children about the goodness and faithfulness of God because they are afraid of failing. You may rationalize this by believing that it is better not to proclaim God at all if you are going to end up blowing it and falling into sin. Unfortunately, by thinking this way you are depriving your children of valuable life lessons.
What if you DO fail? What if you fall into sin and your children witness it? How wonderful and faith building it will be for them to also see you recognize your shortcomings, repent, and then return to relying on God. What a wonderful testimony lived out before their eyes! These are the seeds of faith you need to be sowing into their lives.
God didn’t say you had to be perfect. And He doesn’t demand that you don’t make any mistakes. All he asks for is a willing heart that will keep coming back to Him for direction and wisdom. There is nothing more important that you can teach your children.
Deuteronomy 6:5-9 gives us further encouragement for teaching our children the ways of God: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
Nowhere does it say that we have to be perfect. The Word of God only speaks of our commitment level as an essential element in leading our children to Christ. Be committed and God will make up the difference.
Live your life as a daily follower of Christ and your children will end up with a solid foundation to build their own lives upon.
Stay true to your commitment to God. Commitment is a choice every day of your life, which involves putting into action those things you believe to be true. May Christ bless your commitment to Him and create miracles within your family.