If you would prefer to listen to this blog, please click on the link below and listen for free on Podbean. Alternatively, you can listen to The Jesus 4 Generations Podcast on your favorite streaming platform.
Family has always been very important to me. When our children were teenagers and my husband and I were separated, we did not want our connections with one another and sense of “family” to deteriorate. So together we made a decision. We instituted a weekly Sunday night family dinner, and by God’s grace, that simple rhythm has continued for the past 14 years.
Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from Him.
Psalm 127:30 (NIV)
Our hope has always been that our children and grandchildren would want to spend time with us. Not out of obligation or duty, but because they genuinely enjoy our company.
So how do we create an environment that feels welcoming, safe, and fun?
It begins with relationship. We talk with our children and grandchildren and take a real interest in what matters to them. And if I’m honest, that isn’t always easy. For example, learning all about Pokémon, what they do, how to catch them, and how Pokémon Go works, takes effort! But it’s an effort worth making. It’s an intentional choice to build connection.
It also means putting aside our chores and never-ending “to-do” lists and choosing to invest time in simply having fun together. Pushing a child on a swing. Playing “What’s the time, Mr Wolf?” Teaching them to ride a bike. Heading to the pool or the beach. Sitting on the floor playing dolls or hosting a tea party. Or introducing them to games like Memory, UNO, Yahtzee, or Monopoly. These moments require patience – especially when explaining rules, and a good measure of peace to manage the noise levels (Yahtzee can get quite enthusiastic!).
When we speak and respond, we aim to do so with love and kindness.
Now, I can’t say I’ve always met these standards. Far from it. But over time, I believe my patience has grown, and I’ve become more attuned to the leading of the Holy Spirit. When we keep our focus on building healthy, life-giving relationships, we can take deliberate steps toward that goal.
As parents and grandparents, we long for our children and their families to thrive. We want them to experience the love, joy, peace, companionship, and hope that we have found in Jesus. Ultimately, we want to model Him to them.
Families are complex. Every family has its own culture, rhythms, and ways of communicating. I’ve certainly blundered and learned … sometimes the hard way, how not to communicate about God’s kingdom. My excitement and enthusiasm to share the love of Jesus have, at times, backfired. So how do we help our families truly see Him?
Firstly, we pray. We pray that our children, grandchildren, and generations to come would know Jesus intimately and accept Him as their Lord, Saviour, Teacher, and Friend.
He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”
Acts 16:30-31 (NIV)
Secondly, we resist the urge to preach or lecture. While usually well-intentioned, this can often push people away and create resistance rather than openness.
Thirdly, we don’t hide our faith. We live it out, in how we speak, how we behave, and how we love, demonstrating kindness, mercy, humility, peace, and joy.
Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
1 John 3:18 (NKJV)
When they ask questions about our faith, and they will, we answer honestly and to the best of our ability. We do this, mindful not to push them as that may cause them to backpedal. We may have the opportunity to pray for them.
I have been richly blessed with a dear friend and mentor who welcomed me into our church community during COVID, initially through a simple phone call. She has faithfully nurtured our relationship ever since. Through her wisdom and encouragement, I’ve learned so much.
She also carries a powerful testimony of how Jesus came into her life and how, through prayer, every single member of her family came to know Him. Her story fills me with hope. What Jesus has done for her family, He can do for mine and for yours.
Recently, another dear friend shared a scripture with me to pray over my family:
When Lot still hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the Lord was merciful.
Genesis 19:16 (NLT)
The Lord is merciful. He hears our prayers. He responds. He is able and willing to send His angels to draw our families and friends out of darkness and into His marvelous light.
I pray this blog has blessed you today and given you fresh hope for the future of your family and loved ones. If it has, please feel free to share it with someone who may be encouraged by it. I’d also love to hear from you. Please feel free to comment below, and if you’d like to subscribe, you’re most welcome to do so.
Jesus 4 Generations 
Leave a comment