Help Your Children Know God

by Rick Warren
I showed what You are like to those You gave Me from the world. They belonged to You, and You gave them to Me. John 17:6 (NCV)

I must care about my kids enough to show them what God is like and show how they can become like Christ.

The world is full of sons and daughters who desperately need parents who are spiritual leaders. Is it possible your kids are among them? You can become a spiritual leader to your children by developing the characteristics that we see in Jesus as he taught his disciples for three years.

Even if you are not a father, or a mother, you will be able to lead others into the heart of God by following the example of Jesus.

For example, Jesus helped the disciples to know God.

This is your number one responsibility as a parent. You need to help your children get to know God because eternity is in the balance: life or death, heaven or hell. It is your job to help make sure your kids are introduced to God.

Look at what Jesus says: “… they belonged to You.” He’s acknowledging that the disciples belonged to God. And he is reminding us that we don’t ‘own’ our kids. They belong to God. He loaned them to us for a period of time in which He wants you to parent them. Parenting, like all forms of leadership, is really about stewardship. You learn to say, ‘God, I am the steward of these children, whom you put into my care, and I will do what you need me to do to help them achieve their purpose.”