Julia Melatis – Author

Training up our children and grandchildren in the Word and to follow Jesus is so crucial! There is a lot of opposition in this world, so much more than what I had growing up, and much more access to information through the internet and even television, than ever before. Long before adulthood a child may come to an age of accountability before the Lord, when they will be responsible for a decision for or against Jesus. If they were to die or Jesus were to return would they be ready? Without a relationship with Jesus, no one is ready.

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Romans 3:23 NLT

No one is “good enough” on their own, because the measuring stick is Jesus’ own perfection, not comparison to other people. Without Jesus as our Savior we cannot stand before the judgment seat unstained. With Jesus we are washed clean.
Peter said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” John 13:8 NASB
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7 ESV
Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7 NASB

Statistically it is much harder for adults to come to faith in Christ. “The current Barna study indicates that nearly half of all Americans who accept Jesus Christ as their Savior do so before reaching the age of 13 (43%), and that two out of three born again Christians (64%) made that commitment to Christ before their 18th birthday. One out of eight born again people (13%) made their profession of faith while 18 to 21 years old. Less than one out of every four born again Christians (23%) embraced Christ after their twenty-first birthday. Barna noted that these figures are consistent with similar studies it has conducted during the past twenty years.”* These are startling statistics.

What can we do?
1- Pray, for and with your children daily. Don’t just teach them rote prayers, but to pray what’s on their hearts. Pray not just at meals or bedtime, but when they have a scraped knee, when someone is sick, a problem at school or with a friend, and so on. Let them know God is always listening and nothing is to big or too small to take to Him; to pause to listen for God to speak back to their hearts/spirits. And to remember to say thank you for answered prayers.
2- Teach them to count their blessings and to live with an attitude of gratitude toward God for all His provision.

3- Read the Word to them daily. And let them see you reading the Word and praying on your own. Set the example that it is an important lifelong habit and a real relationship with God.
4- Take them to worship and Sunday School. Observe the Sabbath as a day for God and family as God intended. As they grow, don’t allow extracurricular activities to interfere with the Sabbath day. Teach them that God and family must always come first.
5- Teach them who and whose they are in Jesus. Talk about salvation and what that means. We all must make our own decision to repent and receive Jesus as our Savior. Going to church, reading the Word, and even praying does not make one a Christian. Without repentance, believing upon Jesus and obedience to Him there is no relationship with Him.

Jesus said, “”If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” John 14:15 NASB

Blessings and peace,

Julia Melatis

©2019 Julia Melatis, juliamelatis.com. All rights reserved.

*©2009 https://www.barna.com/research/evangelism-is-most-effective-among-kids/