“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.”
— Matthew 28:19–20 (NKJV)

This is our mission statement as Christians. We are called to go into the world, be light and salt, proclaim Christ’s salvation, and teach others to live in His rest and freedom, even as we continue to learn how to do so ourselves.

Living with this as your primary purpose is both beautiful and commendable. However, in our passion to reach the world, we can sometimes overlook the “nations” living right in our own homes: our children.

Scripture gives us examples of people who left a godly legacy, with their children walking faithfully after them. Sadly, it also includes stories of those who worked hard for God, only to see their children go astray.

As a child, I read about Eli’s sons and many are familiar with that story (1 Samuel 2:22–3:21). Eli was a priest of God and guardian to Samuel, who was born as an answer to the prayers of Hannah, a once-barren woman (1 Samuel 1). Samuel became one of the greatest prophets in the Bible, anointing Israel’s first two kings: Saul and David. Yet while Eli apparently did a good job raising Samuel, his own sons had serious character issues. He failed to correct them effectively, despite God’s warnings. Eventually, God’s judgment came upon them, and they died.

As I’ve grown older and studied more of the Bible, I’ve seen this pattern in other families as well. Samuel himself had children who turned out to be unfaithful to God (1 Samuel 8:1–3). Aaron, the brother of Moses and the first high priest of Israel, also had two sons who died because they did not honor God’s instructions (Leviticus 10:1–3).

“Search me, God, and know my heart;
Test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.”
— Psalm 139:23–24 (NIV)

It’s easy to point out the mistakes of others, but we must daily search our own hearts. Where are we falling short in our parenting? Where are we overlooking signs that our children may be drifting? We must be vigilant and intentional in raising them. Not just in discipline, but in love, presence, and prayer.

Our homes are our first and most important mission fields. We are called to spend time with our children, train them, and equip them to add value to society. Through them, we continue the mission to spread God’s love and truth to a hurting world.

In all of this, we must remember that we are in a spiritual battle. We should never forget this. As Christians, we are to “pray without ceasing.” Prayer is our seventh piece of spiritual armor (Ephesians 6). Our children are precious and are called “godly seed” (Malachi 2:15) and are considered holy (1 Corinthians 7:14). We must cover them in prayer daily and teach them how to stand in prayer for themselves. Remember “be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” 1 Peter 5:8 NKJV.

The title of this post was inspired by the book Sacred Marriage, which has been a blessing to my own marriage. The premise of that book is that marriage can help foster a closer walk with God and be a tool to worship and honor him. In the same way, I believe parenting is a sacred tool, an opportunity to worship God by raising children who are “salt” to season the earth and “light” to illuminate the path for others.

May God help us to steward this responsibility well, to impact the next generation, and to bless the ones dearest to our hearts.