Godliness and Grandparenting, part 1

Yesterday, our pastor preached on Godliness and grandparenting.  In that message, he outlined four Biblical roles for the grandparent.... These are adapted from Extreme Grandparenting by Tim & Darcy Kimmel. This week, I'll be sharing those four roles with some additional commentary.  

From the outset... Dr. Hanberry suggested that a grandparent’s goal should be to become a spiritual blessing to those who come after them... to leave a harvest of righteousness, peace, holiness, and Christlikeness. Your life now can have great impact on future generations... positively or negatively!

God has given you a unique opportunity to fulfill four distinct roles. Role number one: 

God wants you to be a STANDARD SETTER
"‘The righteous will flourish like a palm tree…They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, ‘The Lord is upright; He is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in Him.'" -Psalm 92:12,14-15

Be a Standard Setter…

By modeling, teaching and encouraging:

        Inspiring faith-

Let them hear stories of your faith journey. Tell them your story of coming to faith. Share with them times that God was faithful and you trusted Him through difficulty!
   
        Consistent integrity

Let them see you modeling integrity through and through... Be the same person at work, at play, at church, at home! Be a man or woman of integrity! They'll notice, for sure!

        Practical poise

Let them sense your self-control. Help them understand the fruit of the Spirit by responding with calculated poise and control! How do you respond in traffic? In stressful invironments...under pressure? Confident assurance in God's sovereign control over situations helps to instill faith in your kids and grandkids!

        Personal / spiritual discipline

Let them "catch you" involved in those practices found in Scripture that promote spiritual growth among believers in the gospel of Jesus Christ! Prayer, Bible Study, memorizing Scripture, etc... Live a life of personal spiritual disciplines, for that is one of the best ways to transfer them as a value! Spiritual discipline is usually caught, not taught!

        Steadfast endurance

Let them experience God's grace through the trials of your life! Let them in on your suffering, fear, pain...but keep them pointed toward God's consistent and faithful love and grace toward us. Endure hardship with faith... Teach them that life is not fair, but God is still good!

        Contagious courage
Let them grow in courage because you help them to know what courage actually is! Courage may seem daring, bold or even reckless... But courage isn’t about something magical that happens inside us to make us ‘not scared’. It’s about something powerful that happens inside us to make us push through fear, self-doubt, anxiety, and do the things that feel hard or risky or frightening. Sometimes, courage only has to happen for seconds at a time – just long enough to be brave enough. Courage isn't the absence of fear...it's the presence of faith in the midst of our fears.