Sharing Christ with your Children and Grandchildren Through ARCM

We have had our grandson, Julian, all week for Spring break. He is twelve years old and inquisitive about God, politics, and the human brain or why people act the way they do. He also loves to fish, but unfortunately the fish were not biting. The refusal of the fish to become our dinner, gave us lots of time to talk and play board games. We could have spent all the time at area amusements, or I could have spent a great deal of money on him as we shopped at the mall just to fill time. But, if all we did was spend money on entertainment or on shopping to buy things for him, we would not have been contributing to our grandson’s mental, emotional or spiritual heath.

Don’t get me wrong; we buy things for our grandchildren on their birthdays, at Christmas, or when they really need something. We have also taken them to the area amusements. But, we just don’t just drop a lot of money on them, because they are bored or because they desire something new. We also do not want to give our grandchildren the impression that they deserve gifts or the money spent on them just because they are so great. Yes, they are loved and are great. But, we want to spend time with them talking to them about the important things in life; things that can make a difference in their lives now, in the future and in eternity. So, what did we talk about during Julian’s Spring break?

Every day, we started the day by having a short Bible study. I explained the Scriptures and Jesus’ parables, and answered Julian’s questions. Then we prayed. During the day, as we fished or rode in the car, we talked about our nation, why people do things that are not right, and we even talked politics. I also took the time to explain the concept of Salvation and “re-birth” to Julian. Each day as the Holy Spirit nudged me, I gave Julian additional information that could help him make a decision for the Lord. But, I did not push Salvation down Julian’s throat, so to speak. Rather, I listened for opportunities to answer any questions he might have. Sometimes I made the opportunities as well.

I explained to Julian why every person will need to make a decision at some point in their life either to believe on Christ or not. We then talked about God giving us “free will” and that although God has offered this beautiful gift of Salvation to everyone, that not everyone will accept the gift. For, each person must believe on the gift, i.e. that Christ is the resurrected Son of God, then accept the gift by repenting of their sins and finally open the gift of Salvation by asking Christ to come into their heart.

I don’t know whether Julian will choose to ask Christ into his heart this year or at some future date. But, I do know that he has been given the right information to make a decision. My husband has also talked to him. He told Julian what a difference Christ has made in his own life. We will both continue to pray for Julian to ask Christ into his heart. In the meantime, we did not just assume that somewhere through Sunday school or through osmosis from being around Christians that Julian will hear the Gospel message. Instead, we actively and relationally mentored Julian in proper actions, behaviors, trust, truth, and ethics along with how to know Christ as His personal Savior.

I cannot stress enough that whether it is your grandchildren or your own children that you should take the time to daily speak into their lives about God’s Truth and the Gospel message. God gave us the responsibility to teach our children about God and His Son. We also have the responsibility to share the Good News with other women no matter their age. It is just a matter of becoming actively and relationally involved in mentoring them for Christ.

Part of living for Christ is to share the Good News. But if we do not do so, we are not just hurting ourselves. Our hurt comes when we miss many of the blessings from God simply because we failed to tell others of Christ. But, we also hurt those who need to hear the Good News. How will you feel when you get to Heaven if God says you missed an opportunity to share Christ with someone, because you were too into yourself to share the Gospel with them or because the example you set was not that of a Christian? God may have sent others, and one of them then helped that woman come to Christ. Or worse, you were the only person she would have listened to, but you failed to tell her. For, being a Christian, means that we are to actively and relationally reach out to others to share with them the knowledge and wisdom that God has given us to share. So, whether it is our grandchildren, our children, or a woman we just met, we have to take the opportunity to share Christ when it is presented to us. ARCM is a wonderful way to share Christ, as we share our gifts, knowledge, skills, etc. You can do it!

“But whenever a person turns [in repentance]

to the Lord, the veil is stripped off and taken away.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is,

there is liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom.

And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we]

continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror

the glory of the Lord, are constantly being

transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing

splendor and from one degree of glory to another,

[for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.”

-- II Corinthians 3: 16- 18. Amplified Bible