Our Influence Matters
There’s a humbling truth every Christian parent eventually faces: we cannot control whether our children will follow Jesus.
We can pray, teach, and model faith—but ultimately, salvation is a personal decision between each child and their Savior. And that realization can feel both freeing and terrifying.
I used to lean hard into the “freeing” side, but for all the wrong reasons. I told myself that nothing I did really mattered in the long run. Either my children were going to follow Jesus or they weren’t, and my imperfect efforts at family devotions, prayer times, and Christian discipline couldn’t possibly alter that outcome.
Looking back, I can see that my resignation wasn’t rooted in trust. It was rooted in fear.
I was just so scared of failure.
Let Your Fear Fuel Your Dependency
Maybe you’ve been there too.
Maybe you’ve felt the crushing weight of wanting to “get it right” as a mom—only to feel your own failures looming over you. Maybe you’ve wondered if your temper, inconsistency, or distractedness might be the very things that drive your children away from God.
Or maybe, like me, you’ve quietly decided that the best way to deal with that fear is to throw up your hands and say, “It’s all in God’s hands anyway.”
Of course, we can trust God to work every step of the way—but that truth should never lead us to apathy. It should lead us to dependence.
And that’s where the Gospel transforms everything.
Just Ask for Help
The Gospel isn’t about working harder to get to God, it’s about admitting our own insufficiency and accepting the help that Jesus offers.
That means a mother who longs to influence her child’s faith doesn’t need to try harder or do better. She simply needs to turn to Jesus for help.
Help in her motherhood.
Help in her struggles.
Help in her daily disciplines.
Help in her prayer life.
Help in her housework.
Help in her marriage.
Because the more we practice depending on Jesus, the more our children see Gospel dependence modeled in real life.
When they see us pray over lost tempers, give thanks for small joys, and turn to Jesus in our weariness, they begin to understand that faith isn’t performance.
It’s relationship.
And as we faithfully turn to Jesus for help over and over and over again, He will be faithful to answer.
Our children, in turn, will learn to do the same.
How to Influence Your Child’s Faith
It’s true: our children will one day decide for themselves whether or not to follow Christ. Their hearts are theirs, and their faith cannot be borrowed from ours.
But that doesn’t mean our role is insignificant. Far from it.
Every day, Christian parents are given a sacred opportunity—to live out the Gospel before our children in tangible, memorable ways.
Here are a few practical ways we can influence our children’s hearts toward Jesus:
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Model dependence, not perfection. Let your kids see you pray, apologize, and ask for help.
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Fill your home with reminders of God’s goodness. Scripture art, worship music, and Christ-centric conversations leave deep impressions.
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Point out God’s presence in ordinary moments. When you see stars, sunsets, laughter, or answered prayers, pause and give Him glory.
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Pray over your children aloud. Let them hear your dependence and love for God in your own words.
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Invite them into your faith rhythms. Read Scripture together, serve together, and let them see that walking with Jesus is a joy, not a chore.
A Trail of Grace
So tonight, when you point at the stars to show your little one God’s power—and then cover those chubby cheeks in kisses to show them His love—remember that something eternal is happening.
When you pause to pray after a hard moment, whisper a hymn while you fold laundry, or ask forgiveness for snapping in frustration... you’re weaving threads of grace into your child’s heart.
These small decisions, these unseen moments, are slowly forming a tapestry of testimony in your children’s lives.
And it all starts with this simple, daily prayer:
“Jesus, help me.”
Because a mother who turns to Jesus again and again leaves a trail of grace for her children to follow.