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Continue to love them unconditionally and pray for them. Each of us has a choice to make and as a parent I can't make it for my child, but I can love them and try and be the example that would lead them to Christ. At the end of the day it is still their choice to make and can't be forced upon them to choose the way I might wish for them to choose.
Ask them questions. Don't judge their answers. You want your child to feel safe expressing anything and everything to you. When our children are having problems in life we want to help them solve them. Too many parents make the problem into a personal mission of right and wrong. Always tell your kids what you love about them. What you notice about them. Speak into them truth and the attributes you want to see grow in them. This is what I'd do:
son...hey dad I'm an atheist.
Me...oh, what made you land on that?
Then the conversation Would grow from there. I would ask more questions than making statements. My goal would be to help him process and really think about the choice he is making and weigh all the options. I never make things black and white for him. Black and white thinking is abusive and cruel and it ends up in one up/one down relationships.
son...hey dad I'm an atheist.
Me...oh, what made you land on that?
Then the conversation Would grow from there. I would ask more questions than making statements. My goal would be to help him process and really think about the choice he is making and weigh all the options. I never make things black and white for him. Black and white thinking is abusive and cruel and it ends up in one up/one down relationships.
Well a lot would depend on the age of the child. It could just be rebellion designed to punish the parent.
Mostly though I would get on my face before God and seek His forgiveness for not doing a better job of teaching the basic principals of the faith to the child and living my life as a testimony to God.
For the cause of Christ
Roger
Mostly though I would get on my face before God and seek His forgiveness for not doing a better job of teaching the basic principals of the faith to the child and living my life as a testimony to God.
For the cause of Christ
Roger
Think about it like this. If the roles were reversed, how would you like to experience your mom or dad? When you can answer that question then you know how you should respond, NOT REACT, to any situation that arises with your children. You don't even need to get all religious about it or make it into some spiritual mess that you yourself don't even understand fully. Your job as a parent is to provide emotional safety for your child to learn how to solve problems intelligently and with purpose....and without attaching their worth as a human being to outside circumstances. There is no shame in questioning life. If God can't handle our curiosity doubt and questions without sending a giant flame ball of death to us then I submit he isn't much of a father or a God.
My oldest son did during or after university. He later recanted on his own. I did just love him and prayed for him. He knew a lot of Bible verses and had read the Bible through with us as a child and again growing up. So he said that there was nothing we could do to convince him otherwise. So we didn't try to persuade him, just loved him till God started calling him!
It depends on the age and type of child's personality. First pray for them to follow the path through the will of Christ.
If they are a teen, it's the most difficult mostly. As teens tend to tune out or ignore/forget. If this is the case, just be a beacon of Christ for your child to find attractive to follow. Explain to any questions or negatives they ask or say. Don't go the "you'll burn" if you don't believe, route. More of a, reason why it is better to follow than the alternative. Teach the lessons of the good versus negative if the chance arrises, but not in arguments. Curiosity answering. If you don't remember or know what the positive/negatives are, read more of the word. If you can answer any question they ask and calmly, they will think about it. In argument, they will still or get angry.
If it's a young child, just gently ask questions. Not too many at a time. One or two doesn't confuse most, as long as it's explained in a simple way. More activity for them with other Christian children may help.
With adults, as long as you can talk about God etc, just have a slow, not heated conversation. Explaining the why, why not, benefits of following Christ.
Knowledge of the word of God helps your maximising of positive results from God.
Though I don't have much experience explaining anything, except through writing. As I'm single and not a pastor etc. So take what you think is right through God.
If they are a teen, it's the most difficult mostly. As teens tend to tune out or ignore/forget. If this is the case, just be a beacon of Christ for your child to find attractive to follow. Explain to any questions or negatives they ask or say. Don't go the "you'll burn" if you don't believe, route. More of a, reason why it is better to follow than the alternative. Teach the lessons of the good versus negative if the chance arrises, but not in arguments. Curiosity answering. If you don't remember or know what the positive/negatives are, read more of the word. If you can answer any question they ask and calmly, they will think about it. In argument, they will still or get angry.
If it's a young child, just gently ask questions. Not too many at a time. One or two doesn't confuse most, as long as it's explained in a simple way. More activity for them with other Christian children may help.
With adults, as long as you can talk about God etc, just have a slow, not heated conversation. Explaining the why, why not, benefits of following Christ.
Knowledge of the word of God helps your maximising of positive results from God.
Though I don't have much experience explaining anything, except through writing. As I'm single and not a pastor etc. So take what you think is right through God.