Our role as parents and grandparents
... and children

Three key reminders,

1. Encourage your children

2. Comfort your children

3. Charge them to walk with the Lord, by your example

​

As taught in a recent father's day message

and as captured in

1 Thessalonians 2:11-12

11 As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father [doth] his children,

12 That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.

​

We have the responsibility and privilege to teach our family and others

• to know God and love Him.

• to know the Bible and what Jesus says.

• to know and obey God's commandments.

  • to realize the rewards of Salvation and obeying God.

  • to know the Bible and consequences of sin, the long-term effect of sin and the unfortunate delight satan derives from our weakness.

​

Why do we fall short in our role? Why do we opt for the act of silence?

Fear of losing time with our family. Selfish pride.

Sometimes a grandparent may feel it’s not their place to teach and guide grandchildren spiritually. There's an attitude of, "We’re not the parents." Or maybe, "We don’t want to offend anyone."

What’s the risk? In being silent, we are not helping or protecting them from satan’s temptations of sin. We should never withhold the knowledge of God’s commands and fulfilling our appointed role.

​

We may feel hypocritical about our past sin

Your past sin can’t be allowed to influence your role. Your sin does not change God’s Word.  

When we know someone commits a sin that we've previously committed … we can’t fall short in our obligation to teach what we learned and the emotional consequences it cost us (and sometimes others in our life).

We may feel that if we say something about their sin, it'd be hypocritical.

We may fear hearing, "Why can't I do that? You got to do it and have fun and you ended up ok."

​

Don’t remain silent!
If we do …

… we advance the moral decline of man, as intended by satan.

 …we fail in our role of sharing God’s preserved Word as the instruction book of life.

​

In citing God’s Commandments we're obeying Him.

We’re not hypocrites.
We love our grandparents, parents, children, grandchildren, family and friends.

​

Role of children of all ages?
Prepare for the future role of parent and grandparent.
Children must honor their father and mother, just as we all honor and obey our Heavenly Father, God.

• Old Testament

  • Exodus 20:9
    Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

• New Testament

  • Matthew 19:19
    Honor thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.