Welcome to Guest Post Month at The MOB Society! Today’s post comes from Amanda Holland, pastor’s wife, mother of two boys and author of the blog Grace in Our Moments. Please welcome her!

What do you want most for your children?

Happiness? Safety? Health? We all want the best things for them.

As Christian moms, I think most of us would say that a heart for God is at the top of our wish list for our sons. My heart’s desire, my most fervent prayer, is that my boys put God first. I pray that they have a heart for Him as long as they live, knowing that as long as God is first place in their hearts and lives, everything else will fall into place.

My husband and I make teaching our boys to follow God a top priority. We strive to teach them every day. We buy age-appropriate Bibles and devotional books. We take them to Sunday School, children’s church and youth group. We encourage them to listen and take notes when they’re in adult church services. We play Christian music. We talk to them about our faith, weaving it into our daily lives.

But deep down, we know that our teaching can only go so far. Ultimately, our boys have to make their own decisions. They have to decide for themselves to follow God. So what else can we do to influence their walk with God?

I believe that the greatest thing you can do for your sons is to let them see your love for God.

Nothing will impact your children like seeing your faith in action. You can tell them all day long what your faith means to you, but seeing it means so much more. Let them see you worshipping God. Show them that going to church is important, and explain why it matters. Let them see how much your time with God means to you. Find a ministry that you’re passionate about, and let your children see your involvement – or get them involved with you. Your passion might become theirs, too. Set examples for them in little ways throughout your life – the words you say, the music you listen to, the choices you make.

As a pastor’s wife and children’s pastor, I’ve seen a sad reality happen over and over again – parents SEND their kids to church, but refuse to TAKE their kids to church. They want their kids to be taught about a relationship with God, but they don’t want to set an example and let their children see that relationship in action. What they fail to realize is that they’re sending a message through their actions that is much louder than their words. They are telling their children, “This is important in your life, but not in mine.”

I love the example Paul shows us in 1 Timothy 1:5 (NASB), when he tells us about Timothy’s background:

“For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well.”

Timothy’s ministry grew out of his legacy of faith. He saw the faith of his mother and grandmother, and he followed in their footsteps. What legacy are you leaving for your children?

Teach your kids. Teach them God’s Word, teach them to pray, teach them to love and serve God. But most importantly, show them your faith in action.

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Amanda Holland is a pastor’s wife, mom of two boys, registered dental hygienist, and children’s pastor. Her writing has appeared on Inspired to Action, the Hello Mornings blog, and The MOB Society, and she blogs at Grace In Our Moments. She is also on Twitter @graceourmoments.

Throughout the month of November, we want to thank you, our faithful readers, for sticking by us as we worked through the rebuild of our site. In addition to giveaways, we are also thankful to our contributor, Franchesca Cox of Small Bird Studios, for providing free printables that we can share with you. Enjoy, and thank you for your support!