Read:
You're doing everything you know to do—taking your kids to church, praying with them, talking to them about God—but what if they still walk away from faith someday?
Jesus offers some encouragement to quiet this fear in Luke 15:20, the parable of the prodigal son. It's not only the story of a son who went off the rails. It's also the story of the father who watched, waited, and never stopped looking for his child—or loving him.
Every one of us started off wayward. God is the one who takes hold of a heart, in his perfect way and his perfect timing. He never stops working. Your child's heart, and yours, belong to him. So, you don't have to live terrified that your child will reject their faith—even if, for a season, they do. God will handle that part. Your part is this: pray for them, love them, and be the person in your child's life who reflects Jesus back to them. Be the parent who watches and waits expectantly.
Keep doing what you're doing. Keep pointing them toward God. Just don't let fear be the thing driving it. Kick fear to the back seat, and let your trust in God be what's behind all of it.
Pray: Lord, you know this isn't easy. Help me trust you with the things that are really under your control. I need you just as much as my kids do. Remind me that you're after their hearts even more than I am, and help me lead them without letting fear drive. In Jesus' name, amen.