The Best Part of Being a Grandparent

[It’s my pleasure to introduce you to Dr. Larry McCall, a new friend I met this year who has been such a blessing to me. I know he will be to you too. Larry is Founder and Director of Walking Like Jesus Ministries and author of Loving Your Wife as Christ Loves the Church. He is currently writing a book called “Gospel-Centered Grandparenting”.]

So, what do you think is the best part of being a grandparent? What’s that well-worn quip? “The best thing about being a grandparent is that you can spoil the grandkids then send them home to their parents!” Really? That’s it? That’s the best thing about being a grandparent? Hmmm . . . I hope not! Who wants spoiled children running around? There’s got to be something better. So, what is the best part of being a grandparent?

I think for most of us grandparents, our “enjoyment quotient” is high.

You know, “If I had realized having grandchildren would be this much fun I would have had them first!” That’s great. I’m glad you’re enjoying being a grandparent. My wife and I are enjoying being grandparents, too. Let’s have fun with those grandkids, my friends. Let’s keep our “enjoyment quotient” high.

But, I wonder how high our “understanding quotient” is as grandparents. What I mean is, how much time and effort have we put into trying to understand God’s calling on our lives as grandparents? How proactive have we been in exploring the Bible to find out what God expects of Christian grandparents?

When my wife and I were asked to teach a class on gospel-centered grandparenting, we were taken a bit by surprise. It’s not that we were against the idea. We just hadn’t given it much thought. We had done a fair amount of teaching on marriage over the years, and on parenting issues, too. But, grandparenting? Who ever heard of a class on grandparenting? No one had ever given us any systematic teaching on grandparenting. Yet, here we were, the grandparents of six very-much-loved grandchildren, sincerely doing the best we knew how to prayerfully point them to Christ, even though we had never been given any specific training in this awesome ministry of grandparenting.

Well, we said “yes” to the invitation to teach the class on grandparenting. We knew we had a lot to learn. So, we began in earnest to search God’s Word on his calling on our lives as grandparents.

One part of God’s Word that we found especially helpful in increasing our “understanding quotient” of the ministry of grandparenting was Psalm 145. There we found God calling us to be intentionally engaged in an inter-generational spiritual relay. Are you familiar with Psalm 145?

Go ahead. Turn or tap to that Psalm right now. Do you see what we saw? God wants us to intentionally bless the coming generations by exalting Him as we pass the baton of faith. We are to engage our grandchildren by faithfully and passionately talking to them about:

• God’s greatness (verses 3-6)
• God’s goodness (verses 8-10)
• God’s sovereignty (verses 11-13a)
• God’s daily provision (verses 13b-17)
• God’s saving grace (verses 18-20)

Having fun with our grandkids is great! But, that’s not the best part of grandparenting. The best part is having the amazing privilege of passing the baton of faith.

So, as we interact with our grandchildren whether it’s a face-to-face conversation, through a card we might send, over the phone or through social media, we can intentionally talk to our grandchildren about God, his glory and the delight we can have in him through Christ. And, Lord willing, what will be the end result? “That they might set their hope in God” (Psalm 78:7). Isn’t that what we want more than anything else for our grandchildren?

Now, that’s the best part of being a grandparent!