Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers.   Proverbs 17:6 ESV

This seemed like an appropriate topic since we just welcomed our second grandchild into the world. We have an almost two-year-old granddaughter, and her baby brother was born a couple of days ago. She has been such a joy over the last twenty-one months. And now we are anxious to see the two of them as they grow together.

I spent most of my working years working with delinquent youths. There were those who, sadly, were hardened criminals at a young age. Most learned from their families. And some came from good families but got caught up in the wrong crowd. They were fewer and farther between.

When I worked this job, I didn’t want children because I felt that I was raising many children at that time. God also blessed me with nieces, nephews, and great nieces and great nephews. And by marrying someone with a teenage son, I have been blessed to have a son, then a daughter-in-law, and now grandchildren.

Our Scripture passage says that grandchildren are the crown of the aged or the older generation. And if I’m being totally honest, the only good thing about getting older is having grandchildren. While grandchildren are a lot of fun, grandparents also bear a great responsibility. This is the responsibility to teach them as much as we can about Jesus and His great love for us.

Our Scripture passage talks about grandchildren being crowns to their grandparents and the glory of the children being their parents. John MacArthur explains it this way in His commentary-godly influence leads to mutual love and respect in a family that extends from generation to generation.

The Bible has a lot to say about children. In Isaiah 54:13, it says, “And all your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children.” If you want your children to have peace and joy in their lives, it is imperative that you teach them about God and Jesus and the sacrifice He made for us. Teach them that true peace and joy come from a personal relationship with our Lord and Savior.

Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it.” It is our duty to teach our children and grandchildren about the Lord. This is how we establish a firm foundation for them. My mother and grandmother did this for me, and there was a time when I departed from that way, but praise God, I returned to Him. I am so grateful for the people in my life who taught me to love the Lord and be obedient to Him.

Sadly, we can also hinder our children and grandchildren when we don’t teach them about how to live a life of service to the Lord. Jesus warned against that in Matthew 19:14, when He said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” When we fail to raise our children to have a personal relationship with the Lord, we can hinder them, and we don’t want to do that because Jesus clearly states that the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

Psalm 127:3 says, “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward.” Children are truly a gift from God. Even those of us who never had children will have children placed in our lives. There will be children who look to us, and we must be a good influence. We must teach them about God and His great love for us. We must teach them what it means to fear the Lord and to love Him with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind.

With this great joy comes a great responsibility. Failure is not an option.

Have a great day!