Speaking into our grandchildren’s lives through Scripture is a privilege.
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
Passing down Bible verses to our grandchildren, and watching them delight in them is such a joy. The first Bible verse I remember memorizing is from 1 John 4:8. “God is love.” 1 John 4:8, “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” Every Sunday morning my Sunday School teachers had us recite this verse and then explained again why God loves us so much. To this day I remember sitting in the preschool circle and reciting that verse as a group.
We need to continue reading and reciting verses to our grandchildren at home. Repeat them as you tell your grandchildren stories that relate to the verse or as you read the verse in context. Make a game of it and recite verses at the dinner table. Then move to just giving children the “address” in the Bible and let them recite the verse.
The other night we were eating dinner. I asked my thirteen-year-old grandson what his favorite verse was. He immediately said John 3:16. This is one of the foundational verses of our salvation. I remember preachers over the years having our congregation recite the verse together and asking us to put our own names in place of the words, “the world.”
“For God so loved the world (Put your name here.) that he gave his only Son, that whoever (Put your name in place of the word “whoever”) believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
One of the Bible verses I relied on growing up was Philippians 4:13.
Whenever I found myself in a spot, dreaded taking an exam because I was unsure of the material, or couldn’t figure out why a friend didn’t like me anymore, I clung to that verse to give me strength and insight.
Ask, have you ever been in a place when you didn’t know what to do?
Tell us about it. How could this verse have helped? “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13) When your grandchildren have disobeyed and you are disciplining them with love, you can read this verse to them.
Colossians 3:20 says, “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.”
No matter what your grandchild has done, they need to leave the conversation knowing their obedience pleases not only God, but their parents. You might also want to include Psalm 107:1. “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!”
Ask your grandchild how he or she feels when they mess up? Remind them God’s love is not just for good times but also when they make mistakes. God has given that same forever love to their parents.
Start your reading time today with these questions for your grandchildren. What makes you feel good about yourself? Is it when you are late for class? Or is it when you have helped a handicapped student in your class get settled for the day? Some people may think you are too young to make a difference in this world. But that is not true. 1 Timothy 4:12 says, “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” Encourage your grandchildren to be a leader among his peers, teachers, and family.
The verse, ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ (Jeremiah 29:11) reassures us that there is a divine plan for our lives. Isn’t it reassuring to know a plan for your life? It’s kind of like going on a trip. Would you really want to start out without knowing where you are going? Of course not! God has a plan for each one of us and we can rest assured His plan is the best plan. Often parents and grandparents have dreams for their children and grandchildren. But those dreams may deter our children and grandchildren and cause detours on the path God intended for them.
Pray God will allow you to be supportive and an encourager to your grandchildren. Allow them freedom to be who God intended them to be. Pray for them and share appropriate Scripture with them. Remind them of the ones they have memorized.
Ephesians 4:32 – “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” This one may take explanation of the word “compassionate.” Break this verse into two parts. The first concentrates on kindness and compassion. Ask your grandchildren how they like to be treated. Give them a situation where there is a choice for a friend to be supported and encouraging to you and yet they choose to act otherwise. What would your grandchildren do?
For example, a friend comes up to your grandchild at school and accuses him or her of cheating on a test. There are several other children standing around, including your grandchild’s best friend. The hecklers continue. The best friend stays silent and eventually walks away. If your grandchild was the best friend, how would he or she react? Was that the best reaction?
How does forgiveness play a part here? Should your grandchild say anything to the best friend? Talk a little about why the friend just walked away. What should your grandchild do now? Forgiveness is a big part of this. We all make mistakes and need to be forgiven just as God forgives all sinners.
Matthew 7:12 says, “So whatever you wish others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” This is “Golden Rule” and closely relates to the verse above. Some situations can be quickly diffused if you just take a moment and think how you would feel if you were in the other person’s place. Children often forget to do that. They focus on the action toward them.
Challenge your grandchildren to love all their friends and to consider the Golden Rule when talking to and dealing with friends. Do you remember a time when a friend treated you badly? Did the friend stop and think how he would prefer to be treated? Sometime you become so busy you forget how to be considerate of others. You become more focused on what will benefit you instead of putting others first, especially God.
Psalm 46:10 – “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” That is something that we need to do every day. Take some time to focus on God. The more we focus on God, the more our focus will stay on Him and come to us when we find ourselves in unusual situations. That’s another good reason we should memorize these verses we are reading to our grandchildren. They will come to our minds when we need them.
There are times in life when we become afraid of something. Perhaps we meet a new friend at school and he or she just seems out to hurt others, your parents are fighting and can’t seem to resolve their problems, you or someone you love become sick and you are afraid they might die. Many situations can make you fearful. What do you do? Follow Psalm 56:3 – “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”
Many people will tell you if you are a good enough person or do good deeds or help enough people, you will go to heaven. John 14:6 – “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” There are no exceptions to that. Jesus is our only way to receive eternal life and live with Him in heaven. Jesus explains it very simply to us. There is no way to get to heaven except believing in Him. You must accept the sacrifice on the cross, knowing He loves you so much. He died for you.
The message for our grandchildren in reading to them is not how many verses we can memorize or how many stories we can tell. In every word you speak to them, let the love of Jesus show through. Love them every day in a way that there is no doubt to them of your unconditional love. They will learn from your actions. When you go to visit a sick friend, they see love in action as you pray for your friend. As you take a meal to welcome new friends to town, take grandchildren with you. Many ways will demonstrate love to your grandchildren and you will soon see them applying the verses you have learned in their actions.
Eternal life is the greatest gift. To help them understand what it means is a privilege of grandparenting. Don’t miss out on this joy!
Linda Gilden is an award-winning writer, speaker, editor, ghostwriter, certified writing and speaking coach, personality consultant and grandmother. She is the founder and coauthor of the LINKED® Quick Guides to Personalities and Director of the Carolina Christian Writers Conference. As much as she loves to write, Linda’s passion is family, including the cutest grandchildren in the world. Linda’s favorite activity is floating in a pool with a good book surrounded by splashing grandchildren and eating folded potato chips—one of the family’s special signs for “I love you!” www.lindagilden.com
Read More About:
Grandparents sometimes have to provide safe and loving homes for grandchildren when their children, the parents of those little ones, are unable to do so.
Today’s kids face new challenges and ask questions our kids didn’t have to two decades ago. But God has provided every answer and truth to help them have a positive mindset and turn adversity into an adventure.
It would be wonderful if all grandparents lived near their grandchildren and had easy access to them, but in today’s world, that is rarely the case. If you are a long-distance grandparent, here are ten ways to stay connected.
