The following article is featured in Laura’s December e-newsletter for parents.  Click here to view the e-newsletter; enter your email below to subscribe to receive her monthly e-newsletter.

Okay parents, I have a holiday challenge for you. (Don’t worry; it does not involve dieting.)  Since the Christmas season entails spending more time than usual with our kids and is also an ideal time of year for storytelling, I’d like to encourage you to tell your kids your story. Allow me to explain.

As you discuss Jesus’ miracle birth and the monumental impact His arrival had on all of humanity, don’t stop with the account of theThree Wise Men or even Christ’s death on the cross. End the story with your testimony.  How did you come to know the Lord? When and under what circumstances did you surrender your heart to Christ? How does your relationship with Christ impact you daily?

If we want our kids to see Jesus as more than a painted figurine in a dusty manger set, we need to tell our own testimony and convey heartfelt passion, conviction and gratitude for the reality of Christ’s activity in our lives. Trust me—this will surpass any sermon your child has or will ever hear!

Part Two of This Awesome Challenge

You knew I was going to throw in a purity-related element, so here goes. Do you have teenagers?  Do they know your testimony as it relates to sexual purity?

As parents, we often go to great lengths to hide our stories of brokenness from our kids because we somehow fear they will lose respect for us if they find out how we failed in the past.  In reality, our kids don’t respect us out of a belief that we are perfect—trust me, they learned better than that a long time ago! Our kids respect us when they see us living an authentic life of honesty and humility.

With this in mind, it can serve as great encouragement for our teenagers when we share with them the struggles we faced as young people and how our decisions to obey or rebel against God affected our lives.

Dad, did you struggle with pornography as a young man? How did that affect you? Did you have sex before you were married and now wish you had waited?  Did you have an over-sexualized view of women that ultimately made marriage difficult for you?  Perhaps your father instilled in you a respect for women that has benefited you greatly.  Consider having a man-to-man talk with your son and sharing from your heart along those lines. Encourage him that he can come to you with his sex-related questions and struggles.

Mom, did you look for love in the wrong places when you were young? Did you learn a lesson about sex the hard way?  What traps did you fall into that you desperately want your daughter to avoid? How can you better prepare her to meet and marry a godly man by sharing with her your mistakes and successes?  Carve out time during the Christmas break to have a heart-to-heart talk with your daughter. Let her know that she can safely confide in you about boys and sex-related issues and that you will not belittle her feelings.

Are YOU Up for the Challenge?

I couldn’t possibly ask you to take me up on this challenge if I was not willing to participate myself. My teenage son and daughter have already heard the story of my sexual brokenness, and they often cite my testimony as one of the reasons they want to follow God’s plan for sex and marriage. Also, my husband and I plan to once again share our testimonies this Christmas break of how we came to know Christ because it has been a while since we last discussed this with our kids.

So what do you think? Are you up for the challenge?  I sure hope so!  Please scroll down and write comments, ask advice, or encourage other mothers and fathers as they embrace this opportunity.  I know I, along with other parents, would love to know that you plan to follow through on this challenge and would also appreciate hearing feedback as to how it went after you shared with your child or teen.

By God’s grace, you can do this!

Prayer:

“Father, I know that You have commanded me to testify of your goodness and salvation to my children. I acknowledge that You consider my kids to be my top spiritual priority, and there is nothing on earth in which I will be given stewardship that will compare with my role as a parent. Please help me to inspire my children with the story of how You reached out to me, forgave me, and saved me.  Please also give me the right words to encourage my children to pursue sexual purity by sharing my past failures and successes. Lead me so that I say the right thing at the right time for Your glory. In Jesus’ matchless name I pray; amen!