“Do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus…” Colossians 3:17
I grew up in a moderately-sized city in Wyoming where my father built a very positive reputation and name in our community. Nearly anywhere in that town I went as a young boy people knew my father and would say, “Oh, you’re Earl’s son!” Many years later when I needed to see the bank about a business loan, my father’s name opened the door for me to secure the loan.
I have another Father I hope others, especially my children and grandchildren, will also say of me, “Oh, you belong to God!”
As a child of God I stand under the authority of the Name that is above every name—Jesus Christ our King. Paul says all things are placed under His authority and we have been adopted as sons bearing His Name. As His son and heir I come in the name of our Father, a representative of the King of kings. That means whatever I do, I must be aware of how I am acting as His representative.
That includes being a grandparent. The words I speak, the actions I take, the lifestyle I live, the people I serve are done under the authority and as a representative of Christ, the King. That is why at Christian Grandparenting Network and the Legacy Coalition, we speak unapologetically of our mission to mobilize and equip grandparents who intentionally represent Christ and the Gospel to the next generations. Grandparents matter most in the lives of their grandchildren when they make much of Christ.
I pray that you and I will desire, not only to represent Christ, but to do so enthusiastically as wholehearted followers of Christ. Whether at home or at work or in our neighborhoods, we are His ambassadors and servants. When we come to Christ’s throne to intercede for our grandchildren, we do so under the authority the Father as His children. We stand under the Name that is above every other name. What a privileged position the Father has granted us!
GRANDPAUSE: “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me? says the Lord Almighty.” Malachi 1:6
