Encouraging our Children to Seek Christ

Think for a moment about the children that God has given you. They are so precious aren’t they! The emotions a mother has for her child can sometimes be overwhelming! There are so many things I want them to know, learn and do! I have many desires for them. Of course I want them to be happy, healthy, and serve the Lord. But what is thing that I desire most for my children? I desire that they should want to seek and find Christ. It’s the most important thing that I can teach them.

Look at these verses with me in Deuteronomy chapter 6:

6. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

It’s my duty to encourage my children to seek Christ. I want them to know God is a real, personal God! I want them to see my personal relationship with Him on day to day, moment to moment basis. I want to make living a Christian life so desirable that they want to have a life like that. (This is what verse 6 means by “shall be in thine heart.”) Tall task, I know! My kiddos are watching me like a hawk and one thing that Patrick and I have always told ours is that we are not perfect! But, I want them to see my heart’s desire of living for Christ. I want them to see that I truly want to seek Him with my whole heart. When I do this, and I’m real about it, they will want that kind of life, too. It makes me think of Naomi’s relationship with Ruth. What a tough time for Naomi to live through the death of her husband, then of her two sons as well. But, somehow, through all of this, Ruth saw a side of Naomi that was desirable. Naomi lived a life and had a purpose Ruth wanted. Naomi was real to Ruth, and it turn Ruth wanted to serve the God that Naomi served (Ruth 1:16 “And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God”)

So, how can I show them an example of someone seeking and finding Christ daily?
~Have I ever shared my testimony with my kiddos? I want them to hear the details of the day I got saved. I want them to hear and feel my excitement when I talk about the greatest decision I ever made!

~Have I ever talked to my teenage kiddos about my life as a teenager? Now, I’m not saying I need to share every sin with them, but it would be okay for them to know some of the struggles I faced and how Christ helped me with victories in my life. I want them to learn from my mistakes, not make the same ones I did.

~Do my children know how the Lord is speaking to my heart through my daily devotions? I need to share with them how the Lord gave me a verse to ponder on throughout the day and what I want to do for Him.

~What about what the Lord is teaching me through the preaching of His Word? After church it’s easy to talk about who was there and who wasn’t or to talk about the cute dress Mrs. “So and So” was wearing or the new haircut she had. But, what about talking about how the Word of God spoke to your heart during the message. Tell them about the decisions you made at the altar and how excited you are to serve the Lord!

My children need to see that I’m a real person and that it’s my desire to grow closer and closer to the Lord each day. I want them to see that the Lord is involved in every area of my life and that I am seeking Him in as many ways as possible! This is what Deuteronomy 6:7 means by saying, when you’re sitting, when you’re walking, when you’re lying down, when you’re rising up….that’s pretty much all the time! I truly believe that the way I can encourage our children to seek the Lord themselves is to see a Godly example from me! They sure are watching and they’re trying to decide if they want to live this Christian life, or not. I want to point them to Christ!

That last thing to remember is that one of my responsibilities as a mother and wife is to make sure that our home if Spirit-filled. (notice verse 9 speaks of the “house”) We set the tone and atmosphere of the house while our husbands are out at work. When we do the above things, we make a “home” that Christ can have preeminence in and be able to shape and form the hearts and lives of our children. Christ should be able to be “found” throughout our home!
I encourage you, dear Mother, to encourage your children to seek Christ!