When I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. (2 Timothy 1:5)

What Children Need To See

Timothy was brought up in a home where God was taught, and the word of God was respected. His father was a Greek and is not mentioned in scripture. When Paul wrote to Timothy in the second letter, the apostle commended the faith of his mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois. These two women must have had a tremendous impact on the life of Timothy as he was growing up. There was an unfeigned faith in Timothy instilled through the influence of his mother and grandmother. A sincere love of truth guided the heart of Timothy. Paul could see the influence of Lois and Eunice in the life of Timothy.

Faith is not born through the flesh but by the knowledge of the word of God. Instilling faith in Timothy came about through the diligent example of his mother and grandmother showing their faith. There is little doubt the home of Timothy was a place where the word of God was exalted, respected, and discussed. Timothy did not become a Christian because his mother was a Jewess and believed. The faith of Lois began in her mother, who taught her the word of God. Faith found itself rooted in the lives of the two women training the young boy, Timothy. What Timothy saw in his home was a love for the word of God.

Children are very perceptive and acute in their observations of family. No matter how hard parents try, children will, in many ways, grow up to be just like them. Often, this is a good thing, but sometimes, it can have a negative impact on the life of the child. What a child sees in the home will largely measure what kind of person they become. There are certain things children need to see in the home that will help guide them and instruct them in life. Children need to see God in the home. The television has become the family altar, becoming the center of life. Computers and smartphones are the electronic cocaine of parents who spend more time with glowing faces in front of the kleptomaniacs of time and energy than with their children. If God is not seen in the home, the children will learn that God is not the center of the home.

Parents show God in the home first by impressing on the children the importance of reading the Bible. If a child grows up in a home, never seeing mom or dad with an open Bible in their lap, they will be more likely to have little desire to put a Bible in their lap. One of the most important memories a child needs to have of home is seeing their parents with an open Bible. A word of caution to an earlier point: reading the Bible on a smartphone will not show the child an open Bible. They will likely believe the parent is shopping or checking social media. Children need to hear their parents read the Bible. Seeing is not enough. Hearing the words read to one another builds a foundation of faith that will be needed in life. Parents who do not read the Bible to their children or with their older children are failing to instill the genuine faith of Lois and Eunice.

Children need to see their parents praying. Daily prayers at mealtime, at bed at night, during storms, or prayers of thanksgiving during the day teach children the love of talking to God. Young people of all ages need to know how to pray. Teenagers need to pray. Toddlers can be taught to pray. If the child is embarrassed to pray, it could be from parents who do not pray. They must be taught by a daily example. Teaching children to pray shows them how much God loves them to listen to them and the importance of talking to God. They will need that when they leave home.

There are many things children need to see in the home. They need to hear the song of worship, sounds of benevolence in helping others, laughter in times of joy, comfort in times of sorrow, and God’s name magnified and respected. They do not need to see immodesty, hypocrisy, anger, lying, dishonesty, and those things that look like the world. Children need to see God reigning in every part of the home. What is watched on television or social media must glory God. Home must become the spiritual haven of safety from a crooked and perverse world. It must become the bastion of holiness in an unholy world. What do your children see? How will they describe their memories of home? You are making that decision – now!