Our children must know the genuineness of our own spiritual lives, not because we parade our sanctity before them, but because they see the reality of grace. Some say that parents should never be seen to disagree in front of children...which is an excellent thing if the parents never disagree. But if marriage is like most marriages are, it is not the absence of conflict but the resolution of conflict which demonstrates grace. It is not hiding away our sin, as though a cross word or selfish act never occurs within the relationship, but it is the working out of grace in the lives of two sinners. Our children know that we are sinners, and need to know that we know that we are sinners, and that we know that they know we are sinners...and that nevertheless the grace of God has broken into our lives to save us
One of the most grace-soaked things I have ever read on parenting is in the current issue of The Briefing by the late Mark Ashton (Vicar of St Andrew the Great in Cambridge). Have a read of the whole of it here.
