Leaving a legacy of faith is intentional. The day-to-day actions, decisions, and discussions lay down the footwork of faith, which is easy to miss.
There are many different legacies to leave—some good, some destructive. We can all identify the heritage of destruction: drugs, broken families, fear, and poverty.
The sad thing is that it’s pretty easy to leave destructive legacies.
Wide is the road that leads to destruction. Following our emotional whims and desires is easy.
We sow the easy seeds, and we reap the whirlwind.
It takes work and dedication to pass on a legacy of faith and goodness. Purposeful and consistent actions will be necessary to engrain faith in these kids’ lives.
It isn’t easy, but I have seen the fruits of purposefully instilling faith in kids, and this gives me so much hope for their futures!
These are a few simple steps to help leave a legacy of faith.
Know why this is important.
Unfortunately, life is hard. Loneliness happens to most of us at one point or another. And sometimes, hope is hard to find.
I think now of men and women in times of war. We may not want to acknowledge this, but the truth is that war does happen.
And when my sons are waiting out a cold night in a wet bunker (yes, I have seen too many war movies!) I want them to be able to pray, quote a few verses, and know without a shadow of a doubt that they are not alone.
I want them to know God’s comfort.
These are not pleasant thoughts. But we would be amiss not to consider how often our faith has been our comfort and anchor.
We also need to acknowledge that hard times will come. They probably already have come to these kids we want to protect.
And even in times of prosperity, wholeness, and happiness, a life with faith is richer than a life without it.
Passing on a legacy of faith ensures they know where and who to go to in all aspects of their lives.
When you know the why of something, it encourages consistency.
After the why comes the how.
Prayer.
Learning to pray is easily passed from one generation to another, and it is one of the most precious things you can give your children.
Kids easily accept that there is a God who loves them and cares about them.
Simply teaching them that God wants them to talk to him. And that he is interested in everything in their lives.
There will be many times that we won’t be able to be there, but teaching them that he is with us and only a prayer away will provide comfort during times of loneliness and hardship.
Listening to stories at bedtime.
Kids tend to be fearful of the dark and bedtime. The children’s counselor we have visited over the years suggested that they listen to Bible stories as they lay in bed for the night.
This works great for kids who have difficult memories or nightmares.
We have often used the following YouTube videos. And they are great! Instead of watching them, the kids listen to them.
Make the Bible personal to them.
My faith is mine. I’m grateful for it, but they need stories of how God helped and connected with them.
Discuss your faith and how it affects your everyday life and decisions.
I admit to being a little optimistic here. I talk more than they listen, but I’m trying! For every subject, faith is involved. Politics, behaviors, science, relationships, etc. You name it, and I will talk about it.
Somedays, I’m pretty sure they are not listening, but then they can almost repeat what I said when I thought they weren’t listening.
I keep thinking, I get credit for trying. I hope anyway!
There are many different acceptable children’s Bibles. This includes picture Bibles and graphic Bibles. Being able to personalize the Gospel story into their own lives is essential!
Grow in your faith, and that excitement will naturally pass to them.
We can connect and love these kids as God changes and heals us. Our relationship with Jesus directly relates to our relationship with our children.
I have recently been watching a video of Priscilla Shirer. This video is a special gift of encouragement and hope for moms! It can be found here on my Resource page.
https://www.singlemomoutwest.com/resources/
Read more: Consistent Ways to Leave a Legacy of Faith.In conclusion, there are many ways to build a legacy of faith. As women of faith, this should be our greatest priority. And it will become our greatest accomplishment.
