Christian values should be passed to younger generations

Last Saturday, two of our grandchildren spent time at our home while mom and dad were at work. Andy and Justine’s children, Jackson and Kendall, attended their cousin’s birthday party and then spent the day with Mimi and Poppy until their dad got off work. Grandchildren are a special gift of God!

During the afternoon my granddaughter, Kendall, found a toy in the corner of our living room. It’s not much of a toy by today’s standards. This toy is made of wood and string. There is a wooden handle that pulls sets of colored wheels connected by a string. But, it turns out this was a toy my dad played with as a child. It is a toy I played with as a child. This wooden contraption is a toy Kendall’s dad enjoyed. Now Kendall is fascinated with this toy, too.

This toy reminds me of God’s plan for families.

Grandchildren may be a blessing, but so are godly parents and uncles and aunts and grandparents. God’s plan is that parents pass down Christian faith and values to their children, just like this toy has been passed down in our family.

Maybe you know a couple of verses that share God’s plan. In Proverbs 22:6, God says, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” In Ephesians 6:4, God says, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”

God’s plan is for godly parents to teach their children about God and his love for them.

One of the things that brings home the truth that godly parents are a blessing is what I heard the day after Jackson and Kendall visited us. Our church heard some presentations on homelessness last Sunday. Among the presenters was Mike Carson with MY House (Mat Su Youth Housing). Mike said something that stuck with me.

“Some people say the problem is that parents aren’t parenting,” he said. “I believe the problem is some parents don’t know how to parent.”

Either way, the plight of homeless youth is a real tragedy.

It is never too late to learn good parenting skills. The greatest love ever known comes from our Heavenly Father. God the Father not only gave us life in creation, he sent his only son, Jesus, to save us. When someone comes to know that sacrificial giving love of God, it changes a person’s life. When we know the love of our Heavenly Father, we become better fathers and mothers, uncles and aunts, grandfathers and grandmothers.

It did my heart good to see my granddaughter so fascinated with such a simple toy, one her grandfather and great-grandfather played with themselves. I pray we are also passing down the love of Jesus, as God has passed it down to us.

Jonathan Rockey is pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Palmer. Contact him at jonrock53@mtaonline.net.

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