by Loni Stel

Created on: January 12, 2008

I a Christian homeschool mama of 10 living children, and two children that await me in heaven. We have brought up our children with God and our faith freely spoken in our home, and it is just part of our lives in going to church, playing Christian music, Bibles openly out and read on a daily basis, prayer before meals and bedtime and stopping to pray for someone in need. When my children are little there have been many times they would hear me say when we could not find something, "pray about it" and shortly afterwards, we'd find it! Coincidence, maybe, but I think not.

I just finished reading an awesome book by Voddie T. Baucham, Jr. called, Family Driven Faith. This author talks about living our lives daily in everything we do. We can't just be Sunday Christians to lead our children to God.

"A family without a commitment to the God of the Bible has no hope of stemming the tide of cultural onslaught. If we mix a little biblical truth, a little secular physchology, a little romance novel idology, and a little eastern mysticism, we will get a deadly mixture of lies. Unfortunately, this is what many Christian families do . . . If we are to experience multigeneraltional faithfulness we must come to a place where we throw off the shackles of our culture and live in the fullness that is found only in Christ. We must be people who live the Word in our homes."

If our children see that we live our faith, and live our dependence upon God, it will show them the realness of God. Years ago, one of my sons was riding his moped to work. It was raining outside, but he still took it. His boss, a friend of ours, called to tell us he was late. I went out looking for him. Soon I found my son walking his red moped bike with the rain pouring on him, yet he had a big smile when he saw me. As soon as I pulled up to him he said, "I knew you'd come. I was praying." To see the simple faith of our son. (This is a little story I treasure in my heart - this son is now one that awaits me in heaven.)

No, it does not mean my life is flawless with Jesus. I have to admit to my children when I do wrong, when I have not only sinned against God, but them too, and ask God for forgiveness and them as well. Again, showing my weakness and dependence on God will help lead them.

Leading our children to God is not just by our words and going to church, but living our life to show them how we follow God so they too will follow. It's not an easy task, but what God tells us to do in Scripture:

You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. Deuteronomy 6:7

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