Question:
How can I help my grandchildren who are wandering away from the faith?
Response:
As a grandparent, I can understand why this situation is concerning to you. So many parents and grandparents are reporting the same concerns about their children and grandchildren.
First, let me say that it is normal for adolescents, teens, and young adults to question their faith at some point. This is all part of growing up and trying to establish some independence apart from parents. It is actually healthy for kids to consider whether their faith is their own, an extension of their parents’ faith, or a result of being part of a Christian culture.
As we know, faith requires a transformation of the heart, and that cannot be accomplished simply by copying the behavior of others. Being part of a church, Christian activities, and serving the Lord are very important to the development of faith in God. However, in the end, a person needs to make a choice to put his or her heart, mind, and soul in God’s loving hands in order to walk by faith.
As the former director of a college counseling center, I talked with many students who were questioning their faith. Those who had a firm foundation in the Bible, exposure to people who walked by faith, experiences serving the Lord, and an understanding of grace and truth as well as the Truth, would wander for a while and then return to their faith with more conviction and devotion than previously.
So, it is possible that your grandchildren are in a place of questioning and wandering a bit, which is not a bad thing.
I encourage you to pray that God will put mature Christians in their lives. You can also be intentional about discipling them through prayer and talking with them about how your faith affects your life and why you depend on God. Expose them to Christian authors and media unless they or their parents ask you not to.
On more than one occasion, a grandparent has been named as the person who brought a wandering soul back to his or her faith.
