Adapted from Preparing My Heart for Grandparenting

By Lydia E. Harris

What if your home burned down? Or all your possessions were stolen? What would you have to pass on?  As a Christian-plenty. Because, “The house of the righteous contains great treasure” (Proverbs 15:6 NIV).

In contrast to earthly treasures, an eternal inheritance lasts forever, impacting generation after generation. Even now, my parents, who taught me about Jesus at a young age, have helped build faith into my children and grandchildren and generations to come.

To pass on our faith, we must be intentional about it; it won’t happen automatically. When I interviewed dozens of grandparents, they gave these examples of how they share their faith and help their grandchildren grow spiritually.

Model

Set a godly example that demonstrates your sincere faith. According to Grandpa Bill, “Grandchildren watch what you do and say. They can see that church and Sunday school are important to us. When we take care of them, we always read a Bible story to them when we put them to bed.” Grandpa Bill seeks to apply the teaching in 1Timothy 4:12: “Set an example . . . in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.”

Share

“I often share what Jesus has done for me and the difference He’s made in my life. I’m pretty spontaneous in sharing His blessings.” Grandma Donna 

Write

“I’m writing my life story with an emphasis on my relationship with Jesus.” Grandma Eva

Read

“Read Bible stories and let them know that Jesus is a very real person.”  Grandma Jeanne

Take them to church

“When our first grandson was two, our children were not attending church regularly. We picked up our grandson and took him to Sunday school. After a while, he began asking his parents to take him, and they have.” Grandma Carole

Teach

“We have devotions when the grandchildren are with us. We sometimes gather around the piano and sing together.” Grandma Sylvia

Apply to life

“We relate our spiritual values to everyday situations. We don’t wait to talk about Jesus until we are praying or having a Bible lesson. We watch for everyday opportunities to bring the reality of Jesus into their lives.” Grandma Shirley

My niece Joan, one of my parents’ grandchildren, shared the far-reaching effect their enduring faith had on her: “I remember the Bible stories, biblical principles, and lessons Grandpa wrote for me. His wisdom helped shape my Christian worldview and still impacts how I live my life and teach my children.”
The greatest gift we can give our children and grandchildren is a legacy of faith. With God’s help, let’s pass the baton of faith securely into the hands of future generations.

Dear heavenly Father, thank You for keeping an inheritance for us in heaven that won’t perish, spoil, or fade. We want to lay up a rich inheritance for our children and grandchildren. Help us persevere, stand firm in our faith, and build a strong foundation for them to build on. May they see that our faith in Jesus is real and desire it as well.

Lydia Harris known as Grandma Tea, is passionate about prayer, grandparenting, and hospitali-TEA. She’s a prolific author, and her Bible study,, is based on years of teaching and intentional, godly grandparenting. She will be leading a workshop on grandparenting at the upcoming NW regional conference. Read more on Preparing My Heart for Grandparenting.