“The Father is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.” Matt. 18:14

You undoubtedly know the parable of the lost sheep taught as a general evangelism passage challenging believers to seek the lost. Certainly a legitimate application, I also believe the sheep Jesus refers to in this parable are actually children in between two bookend statements about the Father’s heart for children. On one end is Jesus’ warning not to look down on the children for “their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven”. On the other side is His representation of the parable as a picture of the Father’s determination that none “of these little ones should be lost”. In this context, our Lord’s passion for making sure none of these ‘little ones’ perish has enormous implications for us as grandparents, and adults in general.

We have but one life to live and invest for the next generations. Whether it is our own grandchildren or the children in our churches and neighborhoods, to not intentionally embrace the Father’s heart for our children is to effectively surrender them to the Enemy who will destroy them for all eternity. That is a high price to pay for complacency.

We are grandparents not only to our biological grandchildren but to all the children in our community of faith. Are you intentionally connected to them in some way? Last week I gave you three things you can do in your own church. Are you taking any steps to implement any of those? These children need to hear God’s story through your own life as well.

In our own families, parents and grandparents share the responsibility of telling and discipling our children and grandchildren so they may know the Lord and follow Him wholeheartedly. It is not the job of the church to do this. It is our job…and privilege. We must tell our story of God’s mercy and grace and how it has transformed our own heart and mind. It’s what courageous grandparents do.

If you are a grandparent who does not have the freedom to talk about ‘religious’ things with your grandchildren, here are two things I encourage you to do:

1. Pray fervently. Ask God to soften the hearts of your adult children, and ask Him to search your own heart for any offensive way in you that might be contributing to the reaction of your adult children.
2. Ask God for wisdom to look for natural opportunities to share your own story that does not violate the trust between you and your adult children. Here are a few examples:

• • Respond with honesty and care when your grandchildren ask you questions about your life or life in general.
  • When they are at your home, pray with them at meals.
  • Watch for opportunities in everyday conversations and moments to speak truth and give God glory.

Just because things are hard does not mean we are relieved of the responsibility to tell the next generations. We must be humble, kind, patient, forgiving and peace-loving in all things. We must also be courageous and intentional making sure that our words match our lives so we give no one justifiable reason to find fault. The hearts, minds and souls of our grandchildren are at stake. So tell your story, write your story, live your story…for their sake.

GRANDPAUSE:The more impossible your situation, the more glory goes to God when He works on your behalf. –David Jeremiah