Does Your Child Know Christ?
Parenting is one of the most difficult tasks the Lord gives us. As the dad of a three and one year old, no one could prepare me for just how hard it truly is. I’m also confident that no one can truly prepare me for just how hard it will be as they get older. As parents we try our best, we learn on the fly, and we just pray that the Lord will make up for our sinfulness and shortcomings as we seek to love and raise the children he has entrusted to us.
It isn’t shocking that parents breathe a sigh of relief and feel great joy when their children express interest in Christ and eventually pray to be saved by him. We want the best for our children and we all have a strong desire for them to know Jesus and one day be with him in heaven. However, we can’t stop there. Once our children pray that prayer, our job is just beginning. Jesus commands us in the Great Commission to teach new believers to observe everything he has commanded. Moses gives an excellent model in Deuteronomy 6 instructing parents to talk about God in every aspect of life.
What concerns me is that many Christian parents experience the joy and relief of their children expressing faith in Jesus and are satisfied to stop there. Of course, they take their children to church and kids will learn there, but they aren’t taking on the responsibility to teach and disciple their children at home—which, aside from school, is where they spend the majority of their time. Statistics like the one below means we must begin asking some hard questions.
The first question I think parents must grapple with is, “Does my child really know Christ?” This is a hard question to ask and one that many don’t want to face. But it is also incredibly important. That being said, I think there are three key categories to observe when we ask this question. Over the next few weeks, I’ll try and expand on each of these categories, but we’ll start here as a jumping off point.
Desire to Know Christ
Do children who have professed faith in Christ have a desire to know Christ? I know and have observed students who have expressed that they have been saved yet they have no desire to know God for themselves. They don’t read God’s word and they don’t pray. They don’t have much to say regarding him in conversation. There really seems to be no desire for them to know him at all. When that desire is not there then the question that can’t be escaped is “Have you actually met him?”
Changed Behavior
A question we should all ask ourselves is “What is different about me because I’ve been saved?” James, the brother of Jesus, makes it clear that we know Christians by their actions. If, over time, nothing has changed in someone’s life then we have reason to question whether or not they have the Holy Spirit living inside them. He doesn’t leave us the same.
Does your child treat their siblings differently? Do they treat you differently? Have they developed a kinder disposition. Maybe they are more generous, selfless, patient, or caring. Everyone grows at different rates, but they do grow—even if it’s slow.
Another evidence of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us is remorse for sin. Does your child ever confess sin when unprompted because of conviction or does it only happen when they are found out or have fear of being found out? Do they ever communicate their sin as disobedience to God? Both changed outward and inward behavior can be good supportive evidence that your child has met Christ and has the Holy Spirit dwelling in them.
Joy and Peace
One final thing I may mention that those who are believers experience that is not natural to those who are far from Christ is joy and peace. Someone with the Holy Spirit living inside them has true joy. Joy isn’t the same thing as happiness. A Christian can have joy without happiness. Joy is our assurance that a good God holds us in his hands and is working even the sorrowful moments in life for our good.
I would closely connect it to peace. When our lives feel flipped upside down, there is an inner peace that Christians have that really does baffle us. We may worry, we may be afraid, but there is also an unexplainable peace in those moments that could only come from God’s Spirit living in us. Do you notice joy and peace in your child’s life?
Conclusion
Parenting is so hard and every good parent wants the best for their kids. All Christian parents want their children to know Christ, but we must strive to be the primary disciplers in their lives. Sanctification happens at different rates for everyone. Your child may be truly saved, but their growth is very slow (I think mine was). It’s also possible they made that decision when they were very young to please you or because other kids were doing it. Hopefully, if we observe some of these things, we will see God working in their lives. Ultimately, we need to press into what can feel like difficult conversations because they matter the most and want to help our kids know Christ.
