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Final Rules for Grandparents

Accept Your Age
It’s wonderful to have the years behind us, the experience of living. Face-lifts and crash diets will not make us teenagers again. The miles are recorded inside us. We know where we have been and how long we’ve been on the road.

The Bible gives us a guide to clothing:

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Colossians 3:12 NIV).

However, let’s not get sloppy in our personal appearance. It’s not vanity for grandmother to have her hair done or for Grandpa to wear snappy clothes, it’s sanity.

Don’t Hold Grudges
A grandparent who doesn’t accept his daughter-in-law or son-in-law or who criticizes them to the rest of the family can’t expect to earn the respect of his grandchildren.

In that wonderful passage in Colossians that spells out the “rules for holy living,” it says:

“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13 NIV).

I have known grandparents who vent their displeasure with their own children or in-laws through the grandchildren. They say such things as, “Don’t your parents ever check what you’re wearing before you go out?” or “Why is your hair so dirty; doesn’t your mother wash it?”

A grudge will make a grump out of gram and gramps.

Stay Young in Heart
The same story repeated over and over is one of the best ways to turn off young ears. You could say, “Have I told you about...?” And if you have, forget it. Vain repetitions are a sure way to cancelled communications.

Learn and Teach Bible Principles
If the world is pushing our grandchildren into its mold, show them what the Word of God has to say about the major temptations they face. The Bible says:

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16 NIV).

Keep Your Sense of Humor
A friend was telling me about taking her three-year-old granddaughter shopping. Grandma lost her briefly in a clothing store and after a few frantic moments of calling her name, she saw the little culprit, stark naked, standing on a raised platform beside a mannequin. The astonished grandmother grabbed the little nudist just as she shouted, “Grandma, I have to go to the bathroom.” Only a keen sense of humor will suffice in a ridiculous situation.

We need to laugh at ourselves. We have enough miles recorded in us to know the therapy of hilarity.

Pray Continually
Frequently we may think, “I’ve tried everything else, now I might as well pray.” Today I pray first and fly later. The Lord tells us to pray for everything and that means the little, insignificant things as well as major issues. Pray for His angels to surround the grandchildren and keep them free from harm. Pray for them to accept Him and love Him. Pray for wisdom for the parents and understanding during the times when things look bleak. Pray with thanksgiving.

Trouble may drive us to prayer, but prayer will drive trouble away.

Related Reading:
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Need advice? Ask us.

Excerpted from Grandparents Can By Dale Evans Rogers (Fleming H. Revell Co., 1983)