Slideshow image

I heard a quote by the late Alex Trabek, the former host of the tv show Jeopardy. He said, "Don't tell me what you believe in. I'll observe how you behave and I will make my own determination." 

This quote immediately jumped out at me because of Trabek's emphasis that a person's lifestyle is the true reflection of what they believe. As a parent, I have seen this play out with my children. My six kids listen to what I say, but they also watch everything that I do. They hear me tell them that they can trust God when things are complicated, but they truly learn what that means by watching me trust God in my own life. 

If my faith is a legacy that I pass down to my children, it has a be an authentic faith that is reflected in my actions. The apostle James put it more bluntly by saying in James 2:26 that faith without works is dead. If my faith is dead, it surely will not pass down my children!

I want my children to thrive long after they leave the safety of my house. I want them to flourish in marriage, have their own family, and have a blessed work life. Most of all, I want each of them to develop their own walk with God that will carry them through every season of life. This goal will only be accomplished if I do my part - show them a faith that they want to believe in. 

This does not mean that I become faith and never let my children see my flaws and even faith failures. Observing my successes and failures will influence how my children begin to understand God's grace and unconditional love. They learn what forgiveness means by watching me ask forgiveness of God when I miss the mark.

I want to encourage you to live out your faith in front of your kids. Show them a genuine faith that is the perfect combination of words and actions. Talk to them about God, but live a life that reflects the God inside of you.