Article written by Sister Edna Ellison, Grandmothers of Hope Society, Inc
We may never equate fear with being a grandmother but in certain situations it happens. We may encounter a home where the father or perhaps the mother is not a Christian. They may not even believe that there is a God. We the grandmothers of hope must first of all approach the throne of grace through prayer. We must seek God’s direction on how to handle each specific challenge. In biblical history we may look at examples such as Esther. She had to go before the king in order to save her people, the Jews. The law was that absolutely no one could approach the king unless he sent for them. Her cousin Mordecai told her that perhaps God put her in the palace for such a time as this. Even though she could have been killed, she was not to be afraid because God orchestrated the situation (Esther chapter 1 thru 10) Then there was Mary the mother of Jesus. An angel came to Mary who was a young girl, possibly around fifteen years old. The angel told her not to be afraid as she was going to have a child. She asked the angel” how could this be” in that she had never been with a man. The angel told her that she would conceive by the Holy Spirit. Now during this time in history, a young girl could be stoned to death if she was impregnated before marriage. The angel also appeared unto Joseph who was engaged to be married to her. The angel also told Joseph to “fear not” to take Mary as his wife as she was with child by the Holy Spirit. (Luke 1:26-38). Fear could have taken over in each of these situations, but these people trusted God. There are so many situations that could cause us to have fear. One may be afraid to change jobs because of lack of experience. One may be afraid to buy a home for fear of finances. One may be afraid to drive because of traffic and the unknown. All of these situations can be carried to the Lord. Ester, Mary, Joseph, and others trusted God. We should trust God as well. Never try to usurp the parents’ authority. Our children and their spouses know who we are in Christ, and they know that those beliefs will be shared not only with them but also with our grandchildren. The fear may come into our hearts after trying to share biblical history with our loved ones and it is not received as we would have liked. Those may be the times that our children may remind us that they are the parents not us. We may have been saved at the time that our children were small. If that were the case, the word tells us to train up a child in the way that he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6). We may have been saved at a later time in which we missed the opportunity to teach them when they were young. God honors our desire for them to know him, even if our teaching to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord started after they were older. (Ephesians 6:4). The worst-case scenario is that the parents may take a stand and will never allow interaction with the children, but that’s where God’s word comes into action to “FEAR NOT”
SCRIPTURE:
When you are fearing a situation or an emotional challenge, envision God saying these things to you.
Isaiah 41:10 NIV, “So do not fear for I am with you, do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous hand.”
Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV, “He will never leave you or forsake you Do Not Be Afraid, do not be discouraged.”
John 14:27 NIV, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and Do Not Be Afraid.”
Joshua 1:9 NIV, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous Do Not Be Afraid; do not be discouraged for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
1st John 4:18, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear.”
Grandparenting Tips and Activities:
As we share God with our grandchildren the things that look small to us God makes them Great.
- From a baby to PreK- Sing biblical lullabies, ie: Jesus loves me, Jesus loves the little children, etc. Pray with them at night so that they know that God watches over them.
- From Kindergarten up – Read bible stories, teach them biblical songs, teach them praise songs and teach them to pray so that they know God listens.
- Pre-teens and teenagers- take them with you to visit the sick and shut in, have them serve the needs of the elderly in your neighborhood or nursing home. Teach them to pray for the needs of others.
- Young adults – Talk to them about their life choices. Have them pray for God’s guidance in the choices that they make. Share pertinent scripture with them on how faithful God is and show them in his word that he will never leave them or forsake them.
Prayer:
Father,
I come to you this day, praising you and thanking you for all that you have done in my life. Your word says in 1 John 4:18 that there is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear. Lord because of the choices that we have made or the choices that our children have made causes me to be afraid that my grandchildren will not know who you are. Your word says to seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you. (Matt 6:33). So, father I am seeking you for guidance. I cast my cares upon you (1st Peter 5:7) The fear that we won’t be allowed in our grandchildren’s life could paralyze us God, therefore we put our trust and faith in you. In Jesus mighty name Amen.
Song:
Total Praise – Richard Smallwood