The Blessing of Grandchildren

From generation to generation we will recount your praise. Psalm 79:13

The book of Proverbs says that “Children’s children are a crown to the aged” (17:6). In biblical times, to live to see one’s grandchildren was considered a great blessing. It is still a blessing today. There is a profound joy that accompanies watching your children usher a new generation into the world. Those precious lives are a part of you, a connection between the past and the future.

The blessing of grandchildren also comes with responsibility. God is handing you the opportunity to deliver a spiritual heritage to your progeny. My (JCD’s) own grandmother, called Little Mother because she weighed only ninety pounds, was the delight of my early life. She talked often about how wonderful heaven was going to be, which made me want to go there. My father told me how when he was a little boy, Little Mother would gather her six kids around her for Bible reading and prayer. Then she would talk about the importance of knowing and obeying Jesus. Many times she said, “If I lose a single one of you to the faith, it would have been better that I were never born.”

If you have grandchildren, I urge you to get to know them. Ask about their interests; play games and read with them; tell them stories about your own life. Above all, teach them about Jesus. Helping to secure their faith is the only way to assure that you will be with them throughout eternity.

Before you say good night…

What do you see as your role as a grandparent?

How could you help strengthen the faith of your grandchildren?

Dear Lord, we do look forward to the blessing of grandchildren if that is part of Your plan for our family. Show us how to make the most of every moment with our grandkids, and lead us to effective prayer for our own children as they pass along our spiritual heritage to the next generation. Amen.

• From Night Light For Parents, by Dr. James & Shirley Dobson
  Copyright © 2000 by James Dobson, Inc. All rights reserved.

Illustration adapted from Bringing Up Boys copyright © 2001 by James Dobson, Inc. Published by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.