As a Christian parent or teacher, have you ever pondered questions such as these:
Have I been faithful in teaching God’s Word?
Do my children/students give evidence of faith in Jesus?
Have I seen any spiritual fruit in their lives?
Why does my child/student seem so bored and indifferent to spiritual things?
What should I have done differently?
It can be easy to lose heart when we don’t see spiritual fruit coming about in the manner we expect. Here is a word of encouragement for parents and teachers who long for their children/students to be vibrant and fruitful disciples of Jesus:
We do not always fully see the spiritual fruit of our endeavors in this lifetime, but we can be confident in the sovereign grace of God to accomplish His saving work in the lives of His people. When His Word goes out, it never fails to bring about His purposes. That seemingly bored little girl you teach week-by-week in Sunday school class may, by God’s grace, become a great woman of faith who dedicates her life to nurturing her family and sharing the Gospel with other women. That rebellious young boy in your own home may, by God’s grace, become a man of God who faithfully shepherds a small local church. And often it is through “ordinary” means that God brings about extraordinary fruit in the lives of children—means such as teaching children to read the Bible, memorize Scripture, pray, participate in the worship service, and to observe God’s hand in nature. Consider one man’s testimony,
I remember reading my King James Version Bible, from age 6 or 7 every night. It was a habit I got from my parents, and my grandmother encouraged in me as well. I didn’t understand everything in it. I could follow along and make out some of the words. It was God’s Word and it was fascinating to me. I deeply treasured those words of God from a very early age. I remember when I was 12, praying one night with my mother to trust Jesus, ask Him into my heart, have Him be my Savior. I made a profession of faith and then was baptized at First Baptist Church in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
I remember coming to Minneapolis at 13 for a Billy Graham Crusade—that would have been 1961—and going forward then as a recommitment of my life. I remember those things but now, looking back earlier in my life, I would not date my conversation to age 12 or 13 because I see evidences of regeneration—genuine saving faith—much, much earlier. I loved to sit at the piano and sing hymns. I loved to read my Bible. When I was out on the playground, riding my bike, or out playing baseball, I would be praying to God quietly during the day. I see evidences way back at a very early stage because of Christian parents who brought me up in a Christian home and brought me to Sunday School, and I’m so thankful for that heritage.
In some ways, this is a very simple, “unspectacular” testimony. A young boy brought to faith through very ordinary means: reading the Bible, encouragement from family, the teaching and preaching of the Word, praying, and singing hymns. Yet, God was pleased to do extraordinary things by His sovereign grace in this young boy’s life. Who is the man sharing this testimony? Dr. Wayne Grudem: theologian, author, seminary professor, and defender of the Christian faith. (From Indestructible Joy for the Next Generations, ©2018 Truth78, pages 174-175)
Parents and teachers: Do not grow weary in providing your students and children with the “ordinary” means of a godly education: reading and teaching from the Bible, offering godly encouragement, attending corporate worship, listening to the preached Word, praying, singing hymns, etc. Because it is through these means that God, by His sovereign grace, does extraordinary things!
