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My wife and I are not the perfect parents or couple but we do have a strong desire to raise our children in the knowledge of who God is and what He has done for humanity.
God is our ultimate provider, the creator of all matter and the doctor of any illness. God never leaves nor forsakes us; He calls us His children and has designed us with a specific purpose.
God is the centre of my marriage and my life, so it is only natural I begin to teach my children they too can have a relationship with God and that He died on the cross to set them and the world free from sin.
I believe this is one of the greatest responsibilities I have. I have been entrusted by God with my children and have the honour and privilege to equip them for life. In Ephesians God gives us a command to do this. "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." Ephesians 6:4
With this verse and other references throughout the bible that show God's desire for parents to raise their children up with a Godly foundation the question I ask now is, 'how do I do this, how do I raise my children in a way that they will become more like Jesus and have a closer relationship with God than I do?'
To begin with, I think it's important to be clear that there is not one perfect formula to follow that will guarantee our children will become all they are destined for. As God has given us free will to make decisions our children need to also make their own decisions. We can build into the foundation of their lives and this will provide a very solid influence for them but at the end of the day they must choose.
Some simple ways in which my wife and I are building a Godly foundation for our children is by inviting and teaching them to pray with us and for others (including laying hands and praying for healing), reading bible stories to them, sharing personal testimonies of what God has done in our lives and being like Christ to them.
We are also careful what information they absorb (from the media, friends, events around them and strangers) and if we are concerned they may have received something inappropriate we will talk them through it.
There are a lot of other things my wife and I do, and probably a lot of good ideas we don't do, to ensure our children's foundation for life is based upon the Lord. My heart's desire is to encourage every parent to reflect on the foundation of your child's life and have an action plan to see your child becoming the representative of Christ they are called to be.
Even if your child is a bit older, reflect on what you can do now to train and instruct your child in the way of the Lord. May the next generation of leaders in society be raised to know the Lord and live for Him, beginning with us as their parents.
Tim Wilson is married with two children serving with YWAM in Brisbane.