I was very challenged by the article, The Most Important Thing My Parents Did, from Tim Challies. Challies tells us that he grew up in a home of 100% church attendance, very faithful family devotions, and regular catechizing of the children. But he notes that many of his childhood friends grew up with the same practices in their homes, yet wandered from the faith as adults.

But despite all of the advantages, many of the people I befriended as a child have since left the faith. Some have sprinted away, but many more have simply meandered away, so that an occasionally missed Sunday eventually became a missed month and a missed year. Not all of them, of course. Many are now fine believers, who are serving in their churches and even leading them. But a lot-too many-are gone.

Why? I ask the question from time-to-time. Why are all five of my parents’ kids following the Lord, while so many of our friends and their families are not? Obviously I have no ability to peer into God’s sovereignty and come to any firm conclusions. But as I think back, I can think of one great difference between my home and my friends’ homes-at least the homes of my friends who have since walked away from the Lord and his church. Though it is not universally true, it is generally true. Here’s the difference: I saw my parents living out their faith even when I wasn’t supposed to be watching.

You can read the rest here.