Trust God With Your Kids
Whether you’re a parent sending your graduate out into the big wide world, or a youth pastor who’s saying farewell to students - graduation season is often marked by anxiety.
“Will they find a church and make it a meaningful part of their life?”
“Will they find any Christian friends?”
“Will they continue to reject Christ and enjoy their newfound freedom to avoid church without me there to keep them at least somewhat connected?”
If we’re honest, it’s easy for much of what we do to be driven by fear. Parents fear that they haven’t read the Bible often enough with their kids, or that they were either too strict or too lenient. Youth pastors fear that they’re too boring for students to really pay attention, and that we’ve left important messages unaddressed. We can all give into the fear that the noise of social media and hormones of adolescence are more powerful than what we’ve tried to instill. Many of these fears culminate at graduation time.
Paul’s words in Philippians 1:6 are particularly relevant during this season: “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” The work of the Holy Spirit is not dependent on our presence to do his work. God is faithful enough for us to trust him. He will not leave his work undone.
Salvation is always the work of God. Yes, parents have significant influence on their children’s spiritual development. Pastors and youth workers are called to faithfully teach the Word of God and to make disciples. But students’ salvation is in God’s hands. No parent or pastor can control a teenager’s conversion. Ephesians 2:8-9 reminds us that salvation is the “gift of God - not by works so that no one can boast.” Sometimes, the people who are tempted to boast aren’t the converted person, but the parent or pastor who boasts in their influence.
You don’t know students’ spiritual future. Every veteran youth pastor can tell you about students who were leaders in the youth ministry who had essentially abandoned their faith within a few years after graduation; while other students who were spiritually apathetic are now passionate members in a local church. The Parable of the Soils is instructive. Sometimes the seed will lay dormant until the conditions are right - then they spring to life and bear good fruit. Never give up on praying for your kids’ spiritual development, regardless of how fruitful or unfruitful they appear right now. Pray diligently, but not in a fearful way (“what if they fall away?!”) but with confidence that the Holy Spirit is at work in their lives.
Trust God with your kids. It's natural to worry about them and to fear the worst when they graduate and head out into the world. You can find real comfort in God’s sovereignty. The Holy Spirit is just as present in college or wherever else they may go as he is at home.
