Lillian Penner
National Prayer Coordinator
A Grandparent’s Greatest Pleasure“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children (and grandchildren) are walking in the truth.” 3 John 1: 4 NIV Pleasure
is a state of gratification, enjoyment and a source of delight or joy.
I experienced such pleasure when my husband and I were driving our
four-year-old twin granddaughters to their home one day. One of them
said, “Grammy, when I go to heaven I am going to go naked.” I said,
“Why do you think you’ll go to heaven naked?” She answered, “Because we
can’t take anything with us so we can’t wear clothes.” I said to my
husband, “Isn’t that interesting theology?” Then the other one said,
“But when we get there, we’ll get wings.” My granddaughter’s
remarks made me think about “What will we as grandparents take with us
to heaven?” We won’t be able to take our homes, vacations, investments
or the stuff we have accumulated. However, we can encourage our
children and grandchildren to spend eternity with us, if their hearts
are prepared for heaven. Our descendants will not inherit
salvation, however when we pray for them we open the door for the Holy
Spirit to work in their lives. Our prayers and godly role models will
give them a familiarity so they will respond when presented with the
opportunity for a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. As
grandparents, we can commit to pray for them and influence their lives
in countless positive ways. Our actions toward their generation will
influence many generations to follow. We cannot afford to miss the
awesome opportunity God has given us to stand in the gap for them with
our prayers, be a part of their lives and affect their world. Knowing
our children and grandchildren have a personal relationship with the
Lord and walking with Him brings us great pleasure and joy. When our
loved ones are not experiencing the joy of the Lord, our hearts are
heavy. In Matthew 6, Jesus encourages us to store up treasures
in heaven. Investing in the spiritual lives of our grandchildren is one
way to store up treasures in heaven. Let’s store up our treasures and
wait for our precious grandchildren in heaven. Questions to think about. How do my grandchildren give me pleasure? What am I doing to influence my family to join me in heaven? What is most important for me to leave a spiritual legacy or material possessions?
Prayer: Dear
Lord, I pray my children and grandchildren will have undivided hearts,
and that they will love you with all their heart, mind and soul. May
they live with a constant awareness of and delight in Your presence
growing in wisdom and choosing Your best for every situation. August 25, 2008 |
