We know from Scripture that Peter, Jesus’s outspoken fisherman-turned-apostle, was married, and the tone of his second letter makes me wonder if he was also a parent. Step-by-step, Peter describes an incremental discipleship in which faith is supplemented “with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.”
Like a dad teaching his son how to change the oil in the car in simple, orderly steps, he follows his instruction with a gentle warning: “Whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.” These words land on my ears with the same pitch and timbre as “If you don’t pay attention to your oil, son, you’re going to blow your engine.”
Peter argues for the reasonableness of his thoughts: “They keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Then, in the same breath, he reveals his purpose in writing this postcard-sized epistle:
Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have.”
2 Peter 1:12
After nearly thirty years of parenting, these words about “reminding” fall like vindication on my ears!
As a mother, you serve as the Reminder-in-Chief in your home, and, like Peter, it’s your privilege (and responsibility) to “make every effort” to help your children become “established in the truth” (1:12, 15). Naturally, this will look very different at every stage of parenting:
Reminding Your Children
You’re laying a foundation in the years of early childhood. Your teaching and training must be repetitive, simple, and scriptural. Regular routines of family devotions and the steady input of your own example will teach without a word, while books, movies, and other media chosen with wisdom will reinforce your teaching of godly living and faith principles. (This week’s book review below highlights a great resource from the IVPKids line that will get you started!)
Make it your intention “to always remind” your children of the beauty of the following life. Be the strongest, steadiest, and most compelling voice in your children’s ears. Become a student of your children’s unique personalities, because what connects with one child may completely miss another. No matter what the culture at large may say, as the parent, you are the “reminder” in your child’s life.
Make it your intention to remind your children of the beauty of the following life. Be the strongest, steadiest, and most compelling voice in their ears. No matter what the culture may say, you are the “reminder” in your child’s life.
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Reminding Your Teens
If you’ve been consistently building into your children since birth, they may very well be on their way to having a biblical worldview that will carry them safely into adulthood. It’s time to soften your reminding role, but certainly not time to abandon it!
Of course, it’s also possible that there may be times when you feel as if you are being dragged as you hold on to the reins of a runaway horse. Whatever you do? Don’t let go!
Like Peter, why not send a very short note commending your son or daughter for some trait that speaks godliness and has blessed and encouraged your heart? A note in a lunch box, a well-chosen book with a strong faith message, and an open-door policy that says “every topic of conversation is fair game here” will go a long way toward reminding your almost-grown child that faith is a vital part of life.
What About Adult Children?
The longest phase of parenthood begins when your kids leave home and become independent because even though your role has changed, your job’s not done. For the rest of your days, for good or for ill, you will be living A Reminding Life before your adult children. How you honor boundaries, make room in your heart for in-laws, respond to your grandchildren, and negotiate the inevitable disagreements that arise will either become a barrier or a bridge.
I’m borrowing Peter’s goal for the fifteen Morin souls who are my favorite people: “I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder…” (2 Peter 1:13).
By grace, let’s embrace the weighty joy of living A Reminding Life!
“I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder…” (2 Peter 1:13). Parents, by grace, let’s embrace the weighty joy of living A Reminding Life!
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And Now Let’s Talk Books…
My grandchildren love to be outside encountering nature, enjoying the unique beauty of every season. We talk about summer wildflowers and their family’s hiking adventures over glasses of lemonade, and we warm their cold cheeks with cocoa and cookies when the snow is deep and their mittens steam dry near the woodstove. When I find a book that ties their love of creation with their love for the Creator, I can’t wait to share it with them!
Parents and grandparents who want to celebrate God’s gifts of beauty in creation will delight in reading God, Right Here by Kara Lawler aloud and examining Jennie Poh’s exquisite drawings with their favorite little people. The book points to seasonal changes as evidence of God’s sovereignty and a portal to witness his glory.
Training children to see nature as God’s handiwork is a step towards helping them formulate a biblical worldview in which everything is sacred, God is near, and his design and delight become invitations to worship, to witness his work every day.
“God, right here. God right there. God’s handiwork is everywhere.”
Holding You in the Light,
‘God, Right Here’ by Kara Lawler and @JenniePoh invites children to see nature as God’s handiwork. @IvpKids
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Did You Know that I Also Publish a Monthly Newsletter?
Every month I send a newsletter with biblical encouragement straight to my subscribers’ email inboxes. Frequently, I share free resources, and the newsletter is where everything lands first. I’m committed to the truth that women can become confident followers of God and students of his Word, and it’s my goal to help you along that path.
To add this free resource to your pursuit of biblical literacy, simply CLICK HERE. There, on Substack’s website, you’ll find a prompt that looks just like this image for Living Our Days with Michele Morin. Over on that site, simply enter your email and then click on the purple “SUBSCRIBE” button.
You’ll receive a welcome letter to confirm your subscription and monthly encouragement in your email inbox.
I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees. If you should decide to purchase any of the books or products I’ve shared, simply click on the image, and you’ll be taken directly to the seller. If you decide to buy, I’ll receive a few pennies at no extra cost to you.
Many thanks to InterVarsity Press for providing a copy of this book to facilitate my review, which is, of course, offered freely and with honesty.
Living Our Days 
Interesting that even as our roles change, the heart goals are still the same …
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Yes, I think I pray more diligently for my grandchildren than I did for my kids…
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Sometimes, I feel I have not lived up to my duty in this area of my son’s life. But then, he always calls us every Friday when he gets off work. He checks in with us over the weekend. When he travels the 100 miles to come home for Dad’s and my birthday and most of the holidays, he always goes to church with me. However, he has not tried to find a church in the town where he lives.
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It sounds as if you are close and have influence in his life. Just keep praying for him to turn his face toward the Lord. God hears your heart.
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Interesting thought that the phase of having adult children is longer than any other. Somehow I knew that–we always hear the emphasis on how short a time we have with them at home. But I never thought about it quite like that. I’m thankful we can still have an influence with prayer, keeping the doors of communication open, and our testimonies.
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Oh–and I am glad that your comment got through at my place a few days ago! I’m still having to log in every time I comment here and a few other places, but I’m thankful WP lets me comment.
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It’s the strangest thing…
Not sure why it has to be so complicated!
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It does seem as if the early parenting days are going to last forever, but sudden they’re over and we spend the rest of our lives doing business with adults that we have raised! Boundary and respect are such a crucial component of that relationship!
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It never occurred to me that “the longest phase of parenthood begins when our kids leave home.” You’re so right, Michele. Our roles may shift, but we can still play an important part in their lives. I think of my own grandmother who left an invaluable impact upon my life. (Her husband died when I was a toddler.) Indirectly, as her influence shaped me, Grandma has also impacted my children, though she never knew them, and even my grandchildren as I tell stories about her and still aim to follow her example. I praise God for my Christian heritage and pray the line may continue until Jesus returns!
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What a beautiful heritage you have received, Nancy, and I join you in the desire to impact the future with stories that build up our dear ones’ faith.
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Your parenting wisdom is very helpful, Michele. I always appreciate that you understand the different seasons of parenting. And that PB book looks wonderful. thanks for reviewing it!
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I am learning that understanding the season I am in makes such a big difference!
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It’s really interesting to know and I especially resonated with the part about the longest phase of parenthood beginning when our kids leave home and become independent. It’s so true that even though our role has changed, our job as parents is not done. We will always be there to offer guidance, support, and love to our adult children.
Peter’s words about “stirring up” our loved ones by way of reminder is such a powerful image of what it means to live a reminding life. It’s about being intentional about speaking truth and hope into the lives of those we love, even when it’s not always easy.
Your reminder that parenting is a lifelong journey and the weighty joy of living a reminding life is a gift.
Thank you so much for sharing this with Sweet Tea & friends this month.
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[…] come up with a list that includes things like supporting our kids in their parenting role, reminding the family of the beauty of the following life, and showing up in practical ways with offers of babysitting and quart jars of green beans. […]
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