Grandparents = Disciple Makers
I preached a sermon on Gospel Family last year at a church in Florida. One of the women in the church came up to me afterwards and said, "I have a confession..."
She said, "When you began your sermon and you began talking about family, I immediately checked out. I leaned over to my friend and said, 'this sermon isn't for me; I have no family.'"
The lady continued, "You see, my husband has passed away, and my children are grown and married with children of their own. And I live alone."
At this point I noticed that she was tearing up. She continued:
"I didn't think this was for me...but then you started talking about Timothy and his mother and his grandmother and how they discipled him, and all of the sudden, the Lord spoke to me. I'm a grandmother and I have grandchildren just like Timothy, and I can disciple them. I can teach them the Gospel. I can pray for them. I can help them be a Gospel Family."
How powerful it is when the Lord graciously shows us that we have a role to play in the Great Commission; that we have a role to play in making disciples of our family members, friends, neighbors and nations! I pray that grandparents everywhere would have their hearts open to this great opportunity.
When Paul writes Timothy, he writes, "I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well" (2 Timothy 1:5). Timothy had a faith in the Lord that was passed down to him from his grandmother and his mother. These were the first disciple makers in his life. His grandmother was his spiritual mentor, even before he ever met Paul.
Later in the letter, Paul writes, "As for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:14-15).
When did Timothy learn the Word of God and about salvation through faith in Christ? He learned it from childhood. And from whom did he learn it? He learened it from Granny Lois and his mom.
Whether your children are still children or your children are adults, you have a role to play in pointing them to Christ. And whether you see your grandchildren everyday or once a year, you can be a Lois in their lives.
My 3 kids stayed with my parents for several days this past Summer while I was overseas on a mission trip, and when I returned I learned that my mom had taught them how to teach Bible stories using a felt board with characters (pictured below). They also spent those days playing outside, going to the park, and eating sno-cones, but my mom, their grandmother, didn't miss the opportunity to disciple her 3 young grandchildren, equiping them with the Gospel.
Let today's grandparents teach the Gospel of salvation through faith in Jesus to the next generation so that today's grandchildren may know Christ from childhood.
