Earlier this year, I shared a post on the spiritual discipline of searching the soul.
This discipline of intentional looking back helps us notice things we might otherwise not. It reveals things that draw us away from God. It can also expose things that get in the way of developing deeper relationships with others.
Paying attention is extremely important to our growth in Christlikeness. As we take the time to honestly reflect, we learn about ourselves. Sometimes the things we learn are things that have simply evaded our notice. Sometimes they are things we wish we didn’t know. And still other times, they are things we don’t want to admit, even to ourselves. Regardless, these are things that we need to know so that they can be acknowledged and dealt with.
It is in this work of searching the soul (self-reflection) that we discover God’s purpose for our lives. Which, of course, is not a purpose that revolves around us but is for His glorification and kingdom advancement (Romans 8:4).
Often our soul searching will be focused on our personal relationship with God and lead to deeper communion with Him. But we would do well to also schedule in times of reflection that focus on our earthly relationships as these relationships are a vital part of our purpose.
Notice that in our discussion of this discipline, the words intentional and schedule have been used. The spiritual discipline of self-reflection butts up against our crazy, busy, noisy culture. We must, therefore, diligently work to make it happen. For without it, we tend to operate on autopilot – moving along influenced by those around us, driven by the values of this worldly culture, with not a single thought for God’s purpose and plan for our lives.
In Relation to Grandparenting
Grandparenting is one of our most precious roles. It is given to us by God, Himself.
What could be more important that discipling our grandchildren to know and love God? For His glory and His kingdom advancement?
Yet often we fail to give this role its due weight. Instead, caught up in the crazy, busy, noisy culture in which we live, influenced by the world, driven by the values of our culture, we operate on autopilot.
In light of our knowledge of this spiritual discipline and the importance of our role, the question before us is: How would my grandparenting change if I became intentional about setting aside the busy and shutting out the noise to sit quietly alone with God, ask meaningful questions, and wrestle with what I discover?
15 Questions Every Grandparent Should Ask
- Do I have clarity on the purpose for my grandparenting?
- Am I engaging in intentional soul care?
- Do my grandchildren see by my attitudes, words, and actions that Jesus is my greatest treasure?
- Are my conversations with my grandchildren God-saturated?
- Has my grandchild placed faith in Jesus?
- Is my grandchild growing spiritually?
- What troubles, trials, or temptations is my grandchild facing?
- What do my grandchildren believe to be true? Is the Bible shaping their worldview?
- Does my grandparenting aim for behavior modification or heart transformation?
- Am I grandparenting in a way that helps my grandchildren grow in their love for God and love for others?
- Do I engage in consistent, meaningful prayer for my grandchildren?
- Do my grandchildren know my God-stories?
- What things am I doing to show my love and my care to my family members?
- How much time and energy am I devoting to my adult children? To my grandchildren?
- Am I helping my grandchildren get to know God?
May I encourage you not to hurry through this list. Consider setting aside an entire day away from your routine and any everyday distractions so that you can look deeply into your heart and motives as you ponder these questions. If an entire day isn’t possible, think about breaking the list into bite-sized bits, addressing only one or two questions at a time.
Additionally, as you embark on this journey, you might choose to record your answers in a self-reflection journal. Each entry will then provide you with information for future observations of self-reflection. They will also become a written record of your grandparenting journey.
Lastly, no matter how you decide to implement this discipline into your rhythm of life, commit to answering these questions honestly, even if the truth is hard to confront.
