SAVE THE CHILDREN

“A presbyter must be irreproachable, married only once, the father of children who are believers and are known not to be wild and insubordinate.” –Titus 1:6

If you are a parent, you certainly want your children to be “believers,” “known not to be wild and insubordinate” (Ti 1:6). Yet some of the most committed Christians have children not under the lordship of Jesus. Why are many Christian parents unable to pass on their faith in Jesus to their own children?

Perhaps we may have compromised with the world. God’s Word tells us: “Have no love for the world, nor the things that the world affords” (1 Jn 2:15). Even the “strictest” parents have exposed their children to hours, even years, of ungodly influences through handheld electronic devices, TV, and modern education. We shrug off the effects of this constant bombardment, and then are surprised when our children do things which indicate almost no relationship with Christ.

Another reason for the devil’s success in robbing us of our own children is lack of family prayer. Most Christian couples don’t pray together frequently. Family prayer is often relegated to meal prayers when the family occasionally gets together for supper. We don’t receive because we don’t ask (Jas 4:2). We didn’t stay together because we didn’t pray together.

However, the good news is that there’s still time to get your children back to God. Remember St. Monica and her son St. Augustine. God promises: “Those who oppose you I will oppose, and your sons” and daughters “I will save” (Is 49:25).

PRAYER: Father, may my faith be stronger than the devil’s discouragement. I believe every one of my children will accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.
PROMISE: “The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’ ” –Lk 17:5
PRAISE: By letting her children know she prayed for them, Louise eventually saw them return to Mother Church and their heavenly Father