What if THAT happens?
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Philippians 4:6-7
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Who's teaching our kids?
Kids are using screens for entertainment, not only early in life, but for longer periods of time. YouTube, gaming platforms, AI tools, social media-Who's actually influencing their identity and leading their discipleship? Unfortunately, all this influence is exposing them to adult ideas, distorted truth and unhealthy comparisons. What's the answer? Proverbs 4:23 says, "Guard their hearts." Take back our kids. The fastest way to lose them is to give them away. We do that with zero electronic device screen time discipline. Read books with them, real books, encourage playing outside, using their imagination, having devotions together, talk about them all day long-not just five minutes-and make sure to read the Bible verses. That's what will plant seeds of the Gospel.
How will they remember growing up?
Parents, the way our kids remember home is being formed right now. Psychology tells us kids remember how they felt long before they remember what actually happened. That's why tone, consistency and repentance matter so much. Ephesians 6:4 says, "Do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction in the Lord." Discipline matters, yes, but so does gentleness. Correction should be wrapped in love, not frustration. We won't parent perfectly, God knows. Apologize when we're wrong. Show grace when emotions run high. Pray often. God uses imperfect parents to point our kids to a perfect Savior. The story they carry will hopefully lead back to Jesus.
You had a hard life? Not in our family.
Sometimes adult kids remember family history very differently than we do. You may think, "That's not how it happened." Psychology calls this memory reconstruction. Our memories are shaped by emotion, not just facts. Pain can rewrite the story. Scripture calls us to something higher than defending ourselves, though. Proverbs 18:17 reminds us that every story has more than one perspective, and James 1:19 urges us to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. Parents, we may never agree on the past, but we can choose Christ-like humility in the present. You're not responsible to fix every misunderstanding, but we are called to love well, speak truth gently, and trust God with the outcome. The Lord is faithful to redeem even complicated family stories.
What message are you sending?
When was the last time you really didn’t like something? Were you vocal about it? I’m like that. I tend to say whatever comes to my mind. Now, I’m not as bad I was once was, but still. When it comes to biblical morality and foundations of our faith, that can be a good thing, but when it comes to loving people—well, that’s really bad. I remember when my daughter was seven or eight, I was driving, following somebody who looked pretty lost. Since I kind of knew what was going on, I was patient, but my daughter, on the other hand, said, “What an idiot!” I was shocked. But then I remembered saying the same thing a few days before—when I wasn’t patient. What’s the lesson? Proverbs 21:23, “Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble” (ESV).
Haven’t heard from your grandkids?
Are you like me? Do you wish your grandkids would call you every once in a while? Can I give you a piece of advice? Call THEM. Why do we expect young people who can't remember to brush their teeth, turn in their homework, or wash behind their ears to think of us old people who are out of sight and out of mind? Yes, for the most part, they love us. But, the reality is WE have to take the time to invest in their lives. Make it fun. Make it memorable. And share your faith when you can. Some of my fondest memories as a kid were those times my grandparents called, took me somewhere, or just sent me a card. Proverbs 17:6 says that grandchildren are our crown. Let's treat them that way—and invest in their eternity.
But, Dad, I need your help!
Our kids say this all the time when it comes to homework, don’t they? The question is, do they need our help, or do they want us to DO it for them? I remember a number of years ago my son was working on a school project that was a make-or-break assignment for him. Looking back at it, we wanted him to succeed so badly that my wife actually did ALL of it for him. What’s the Bible say about it? Colossians 3:23 tells us, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (ESV). Or, Proverbs 14:23: “In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty” (ESV). What’s the lesson? It’s okay for your son or daughter to fail. It’s during those moments that they tend to learn the most. Just remember to be there to help pick up the pieces.
News is boring!
My daughter used to say that ALL the time. Until we took time to talk about the news. As Christians, we NEED to know what's going on in our world. How else can we talk about our faith in a relevant way? When you hear the words, "In the world, not OF the world," you begin to understand WHY news is important. There are a lot of Christians who feel the same way my daughter feels. If we don't listen to or read news, how else are we going to know when Christians are being persecuted for their faith? How will we know when people are in need following natural disasters? Jesus said it best. In summary: "If you give a cup of cold water in my name, you do it unto me!" News helps us find the needs—then reach out with Jesus.
It’s time for family devotions.
There are times I feel like a failure when it comes to being a spiritual leader in my family. I KNOW that I need to lead family devotions, but, more times than not, I don't. Our men's group at church talks about this all the time, and a lot of them do it EVERY day without fail. I WANT to—but I struggle. Why? I'm not sure. Many times when I do get back on schedule, I get snide comments from my daughter saying, "Why are we doing this again? We never stick to it." Ouch. Don't get defeated. Set small goals. Start doing it once a week and then keep building from there. Scripture says, "If you seek Me, you will find Me." Where will we find Him? In God's Word.
Love them, spoil them, and send them home.
Are you a grandparent? I am. The great thing about being a grandparent is you can do all the fun things you ever wanted to do as a parent—give them candy, eat dessert first, and let them stay up late. It's like a sleepover with a financially-dependent cool person you love. We spoil our grandkids with toys, sweets, and sometimes even cash, until Mom and Dad rain on our parade, right? But, if you’re a grandparent raising your grandkids, that's a whole different story. You’re really their parent. There are more of you than ever before for many reasons. My advice to you? Find time to be those fun grandparents. When they're older, they'll respect you for your sacrifice—but they’ll remember you for your love.
Are you a screamer? I am too.
Words. They can hurt. With our kids, they can be devastating. I remember losing my cool with my daughter. Not only did I get loud, but I said some hurtful things. To this day, she STILL remembers it. To this day, I'm still ashamed. Have you been there? I think we all have. Here's the great news. God can use even THAT. First, go to your child and tell them what you did was wrong and confess it. Tell them it was sin and that even YOU can sin. Secondly, remind them that that's why Jesus came—to provide the way to salvation to all who believe. Then, give them a huge hug. You'll find kids are pretty forgiving. What's the lesson? God uses ALL things for His good.