My heart goes out to Christian parents today. What with the bewildering array of parenting styles out there, ranging from gentle to positive to helicopter to free-range to granola…. what’s a parent to be?
More importantly, how do parents who follow Jesus best impart faith in Christ to their children?
Allow me to introduce you to the idea of passionate parenting.
Passion? You’re wondering. Isn’t that reserved for romance?
It makes sense to be a passionate spouse … but what is a passionate parent?
There’s more to the term “passion” than sexual or romantic desire. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, passion also means:
“ a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement about doing something … ardent affection… deep interest … a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object or concept.”
If you’re familiar with traditional church settings, or you saw the Mel Gibson film, you know that the week between the Last Supper and Jesus’ crucifixion is called “The Passion of the Christ.” That’s because one older definition of the word passion is suffering.
Ah, suffering! You say. I get it. Now I see how passion connects with parenting!
Indeed. But the good news is, all your suffering and sacrifice is ultimately worth it.
It’s worth it, not because you get to guarantee the outcome as far as your children’s faith, but because God himself rewards you for your faithfulness in teaching your children the gospel.
Here’s how I define this concept:
Passionate parents enthusiastically and fully invest themselves in the joyful responsibility of passing on their faith in Christ to their children.
As a passionate parent, you’ll demonstrate three characteristics:
- You are wholehearted. You know you can’t come at this parenting gig with the attitude, I can’t wait until they’re all out of the house and I can go back to watching TV uninterrupted. You have to be all in.
- You are authentic. By authentic, I don’t mean oversharing, nor do I mean carelessly criticizing others and calling it “honesty.” I mean that your values and your behavior match. Your actions flow straight out of your beliefs. You live out your faith, not perfectly, but passionately.
- You are strategic. You’re willing to dream big about your children’s destinies. You’re willing to overcome the opposition you face in our culture and in the spiritual realm. And you’re looking for strategies to impart faith to your sons and daughters.
If this sounds a little overwhelming, please don’t panic. This journey is like eating an elephant. You accomplish it one bite at a time.
I’ll be posting on parenting topics regularly to encourage you. For now, I’ll just say this … raising sons and daughters who love Jesus wholeheartedly can be done.
Jesus himself has made it possible for you:
“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” — 2 Peter 1:3
So … are you all in? Are you living out your faith, not perfectly, but passionately? Are you ready for some good strategies?
Good for you. You are a passionate parent.
