The RenewaNation Review 2020 The Collingsworth Family Special Edition | Page 30

SIX REASONS
WHY WE MUST GIVE
OUR CHILDREN AND
GRANDCHILDREN A
BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW
By Jeff Keaton
REASON
2
REASON
1
THEY BELONG TO GOD
Perhaps the greatest trust any person
could ever be given is the responsibility of
a child. As soon as both of our daughters
were born, I realized that I was responsible for their physical,
and even more importantly, spiritual well-being. I was fully
aware from day one that I would stand before God some-
day and give an account for how I had raised them. I have
always known God would not ask me about their position
in life or their level of wealth. He will simply want to know if
I taught them to know, love, and serve Him. Because of this
understanding, I determined that I would do everything in
my power to help them know God’s truth, and I would do
everything possible to make sure they would not be influ-
enced by those who would lead them away from God’s truth.
“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb a reward” (Ps 127:3).
30
WE WANT THEM TO GROW
UP TO BLESS OUR HEARTS,
NOT BREAK THEM
There is no absolute guarantee that if we
give our children a biblical worldview, they will choose a
path of righteousness. However, there is a guarantee that if
we don’t give them a biblical worldview, they will go astray
and break our hearts. Young parents think they have it pret-
ty hard when their kids are little and demand their care and
attention 24 hours a day. I remember those days, and they
were tough. However, it’s much more difficult to have grown
children—who you no longer have control of—choose to
reject the God you know and love. If we are diligent about
leading our children to Christ and instilling a biblical world-
view in their hearts and minds, a vast majority of them will
bless our hearts as adults, not break them.
Let me just add here: For those of you who are praying for
wayward children, every prayer you have ever prayed for a
wayward child has been deposited eternally in the heart of a
God who never dies. Long after you are gone, God will still
be answering the prayers you have prayed for your children.
Keep praying and believing.
“A foolish son is a ruin to his father” (Prov 19:13a).
“The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who
fathers a wise son will be glad in him” (Prov 23:24).
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when
he is old he will not depart from it” (Prov 22:6).