I like to read through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. I'm not sure how many times I've done this over the years but it's nice to lose count. Starting back at Genesis again, I've noticed something anew as byproduct from our attention on
Answers in Genesis recently.
Trust.
As we read through the Bible and believe it is God's infallible Word, the foundation of everything, what stands out to me is how important trust is. By grace, we receive faith and faith is required for salvation and placing our trust in Christ. In order to learn these things, we must have trust in the sufficiency and authority of Scripture. What also stands out to me is how often it seems that trust is a key element lacking when people long to place their faith in Christ but find themselves hung up, unable to fall into the arms of their ready Savior. It's as if there is often a road block there, no doubt influenced by the fallen world we live in, tainted by broken relationships as commonplace, forsaken children-turned-adults. Indeed, we need and long for a trustworthy Savior.
As a gown up who falls into those Arms daily, I ask myself:
How can I, as a parent attempt to help my children, the next generation, learn trust?
How can I play my part in teaching my children what faith feels like?
I cannot be a Savior. This I know. We're all dependent upon grace. But, I can teach trust.
"Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts."
Psalm 22:9
I see that as mothers, in particular, we have an incredible opportunity to teach our infants from early on what it means to trust. I look at little Willow, so small and helpless. Sure, she's born sinful. We all are. But, she also is a little bundle of innocent potential and I stand the chance to invest in her heart. In the beginning I do this primarily by meeting her needs, helping her to feel secure, understanding and responding to her cues, and ultimately teaching her that she's important and she can trust me. I see in her eyes that she does.
"You shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip, and bounced upon her knees.
As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you."
Isaiah 66:12-13
As a baby grows in both age and attachment, Mom and Dad begin establishing boundaries and disciplinary trust as we teach right from wrong. We all long for boundaries. They help us feel secure and as parents (fathers taking the lead here) we've been given this role...another opportunity to teach trust, consistently and lovingly. When we reassure our children by remaining faithful and loyal through discipline and instruction of the Lord, trust continues to bloom both in the parental relationship as well as in God's Word.
"Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."
Ephesians 6:4
I think back to childhood games of trust. One by one, a volunteer stands on a table top and falls backward fully trusting the others will catch him or her. It's called a trust exercise...and it requires the type of falling into the arms of Jesus that we call faith...which pleases God. This is what trust feels like...surrender of self and reliance upon someone else who we believe will not fail us, someone we can trust.
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him
must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."
Hebrews 11:6
Even though sometimes human relationships do fail us, Jesus never will.
"For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me in."
Psalm 27:10
"He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you."
Deuteronomy 31:8
It is true that the Lord will never forsake us! Yet, when parental relationships do and fathers in particular, it can be difficult to grasp onto the faithfulness of our Father God. Yes, by grace, He imparts faith and He can conquer any obstacle including broken heart remnants from broken human relationships. And, yes, He also uses His people as His instruments. So, as a parent, I look to my role as given by Him in the lives of my children. How can I contribute to my children's ability to trust? How can an earthly father equip children to understand and know what trusting a father feels like and how does that translate to trusting our heavenly Father?
Trust.
We parents cannot save our children. Only Jesus can do that. The Bible is clear that salvation is individual and just because parents are saved, that does not mean children are. They must come to saving faith on their own accord. Yet, there are clear biblical commands given to parents to disciple our children to love the Lord their God and teach them His Word. As we imitate Him and are faithful, our children become attuned to the ways of the Lord. As we model for our children a parent-child relationship that emulates the relationship we have with our Father God (who we can trust), we get to contribute to their future understanding of a right relationship with Him.
"As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him."
Psalm 103:13
Parents, and especially fathers, have an ability to impart to our children the essence of what it means to be loved by God, to be a child of God, to be trained and disciplined by a loving God, to trust God. This is not to be underestimated! We get to be evangelists and models of the love of Christ right here in our homes. We parents get to teach trust...and when we do there are eternal implications.
"God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?"
Hebrews 12:7
Trust.
It begins from the day we're born, this journey toward knowing trust. To raise adopted children who've missed out on what they should have had in this area only confirms these things as we navigate the road of teaching them previously-unknown trust in their later years. (life = therapy) Infant attachment is ideally where trust begins, though responding to a baby who calls out is just the tip of the iceberg. Building relationships and reliably, predictably reinforcing rules with consequences and boundaries for our growing children follows as we imitate our Father God and remain loyal, loving parents throughout a lifetime...all equipping trust.
Our good God loves us. He offers parents to children. We can trust Him. He is faithful, full of grace...even in His discipline. It's a privilege to be parents. And it's a precious ministry to step into the role of leading little ones toward faith in Christ by being His instruments, by teaching trust.
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."
Hebrews 11:1
He takes care of the guy-stuff and leads us in prayer when his dad works. He studies the Word and trusts the Lord. 
