By Dr. Scott Turansky
Grandparents think a lot about legacy.
We wonder what our grandchildren will remember about us. Will they remember the vacations, the Christmas traditions, the stories we told, the meals we shared, or the way we showed up for their important moments? Those things matter because they help create the fabric of family life and communicate love in very tangible ways.
But for Christian grandparents, legacy reaches much further than memories. Our greatest hope isn’t simply that our grandchildren remember us fondly after we’re gone. Our greatest hope is that they know Jesus, follow Him faithfully, and one day join us in our eternal home. That gives grandparents a much bigger mission. We want to make heaven crowded.
Of course, we know that salvation is the work of God. We cannot make a child believe or manufacture faith in a grandchild’s heart. But we can become intentional participants in what God is doing. We can pray, teach, encourage, model, share stories, ask questions, and consistently point our grandchildren toward Christ. Grandparents are uniquely positioned to do that.
Your Grandchildren Are Watching More Than You Realize
Grandparents often underestimate their influence. Parents carry much of the daily responsibility for raising children, but grandparents bring something different to the family. We often have perspective that only comes with time. We’ve seen God work through decades of joy, disappointment, provision, mistakes, unanswered questions, and unexpected turns.
Our grandchildren need those stories because they need to know that faith isn’t simply something discussed in church on Sunday. They need to see that following Christ shapes how a person handles suffering, money, relationships, disappointment, forgiveness, aging, and even death. Children and teenagers are continually asking, even if they never say it aloud, “Is this faith real?”
Grandparents can help answer that question. When your grandchildren hear you thank God for His provision, they’re learning. When they see you forgive someone who hurt you, they’re learning. When they watch you worship during a painful season or hear you tell about a time God carried you through something difficult, they’re learning that faith has substance.
And when you talk confidently about heaven, they begin to understand that Christianity isn’t merely a way of making this life better. It’s a relationship with Christ that carries us into eternity. That perspective can become one of the most important gifts a grandparent gives.
Talk About Heaven Naturally
Sometimes Christians believe deeply in heaven but rarely talk about it. We may worry that the subject feels too serious, especially with younger children. Yet heaven is one of the greatest promises we can give our grandchildren, and Jesus Himself spoke reassuringly about preparing a place for those who belong to Him.
There is a home beyond this home, a kingdom beyond this world, and a future beyond this life. Grandparents can help make that reality part of normal family conversation instead of treating heaven as a subject reserved only for funerals or difficult moments.
When you admire a beautiful sunset together, you might talk about the wonder of God’s creation and the future He has promised. When someone you love dies, you can talk honestly about grief while also talking about hope. When grandchildren ask questions about aging, death, or what happens after this life, don’t rush past those conversations. They may become some of the most meaningful spiritual discussions you ever have.
We don’t need to turn every conversation into a sermon. In fact, usually we shouldn’t. But eternity can naturally become part of family conversation because eternity is part of the Christian worldview. The more naturally we talk about heaven, the more our grandchildren understand that our hope is rooted in something much bigger than the present moment.
Tell Your Faith Story
Every grandparent who knows Christ has a story, and your grandchildren should know yours. How did you come to understand the gospel? Who influenced you spiritually? Was there a season when you wandered? When did God become more real to you? What prayers has He answered, and what experiences have strengthened your trust in Him?
Your mistakes are part of that story too. What did God teach you through them? What Scripture passages have carried you through difficult seasons? What have you learned about God that you wish you had understood when you were younger? Those kinds of stories make faith personal and help grandchildren see that a relationship with God develops across a lifetime.
Grandchildren may eventually forget many of the formal lessons we teach them, but they often remember stories. Consider writing your testimony, recording it on video, or simply sharing pieces of it during car rides, family meals, vacations, or special outings.
You might even say to a grandchild, “There’s something I really want you to know about my life. The most important decision I ever made was to trust Jesus Christ.” That statement communicates something significant. Of all the things you’ve experienced, accomplished, owned, or enjoyed, you’re telling them what matters most.
Don’t Let Imperfection Silence You
Some grandparents hesitate to talk about faith because they’re painfully aware of their own mistakes. Maybe you wish you had done a better job parenting your own children. Perhaps there were seasons when you weren’t following Christ faithfully, or your adult children remember failures you wish you could change.
Don’t allow regret to make you spiritually passive. The gospel itself is a story of grace, and sometimes our weaknesses provide an opportunity to communicate grace more clearly. You don’t need to present yourself to your grandchildren as someone who got everything right.
In fact, honest humility can make your spiritual influence even more powerful. You can say, “I wish I had understood this when I was younger,” or “God has been very patient with me,” or “I made some choices I regret, but I’m grateful that God forgives and restores.” Those statements don’t weaken your testimony. They often make it more believable.
Grandchildren don’t need perfect grandparents. They need authentic grandparents who know God’s grace personally and are willing to talk about it. A grandparent who understands grace can communicate the gospel through both words and example.
Bless Your Grandchildren
The Bible contains many examples of one generation blessing another, and grandparents can continue that pattern today. We have tremendous opportunities to speak words that strengthen identity, encourage character, and point grandchildren toward God’s purposes.
Notice what is good and say it out loud. Tell a grandchild, “I see compassion growing in you,” or “I’m proud of the way you handled that difficult situation.” You might say, “I believe God has given you leadership gifts,” or “I’m praying that God will use your life in ways you can’t even imagine yet.”
Children and teenagers often hear many voices pointing out what they’re doing wrong. Grandparents can be especially intentional about calling out what God may be developing in them. A biblical blessing isn’t simply praise for achievement. It points toward identity, character, purpose, and God’s work in a person’s life.
Those words may remain with a grandchild for decades. Many adults can still remember a sentence spoken by a grandparent that shaped the way they saw themselves. Don’t underestimate the power of speaking a blessing.
Keep the Eternal Home in View
As we grow older, heaven often becomes increasingly personal. Friends go ahead of us. Parents may already be there. Perhaps even a spouse, sibling, or child has gone before. Gradually, we begin to understand something younger people often find difficult to grasp: this life is very short.
The houses we build, the careers we pursue, the possessions we accumulate, and even many of the problems that consume our attention are temporary. But people are eternal. That changes what matters.
It changes how we pray, how we spend time, and the conversations we choose to have. It changes what we hope our grandchildren remember about us. Someday they may stand at our funeral and tell stories about our humor, generosity, traditions, and the fun we shared. Those would be wonderful memories.
But wouldn’t it be even better if they could also say, “My grandparent helped me know Jesus. My grandparent prayed for my faith. My grandparent showed me what following Christ looked like. My grandparent helped me understand that this world isn’t our final home.”
That’s an eternal legacy.
So keep telling the stories. Keep praying and loving. Keep building bridges and speaking blessings. Keep pointing toward Jesus.
One of the greatest dreams a Christian grandparent can have is remarkably simple: when our earthly journey is finished and we finally arrive at our eternal home, may we look around and see our children, our grandchildren, and generations beyond them gathered there too. What better eternal inheritance is there!
By God’s grace, let’s make heaven crowded.
Dr. Scott Turansky heads up the National Center for Biblical Parenting and has written 22 books on parenting and the family including a special book for grandparents called Grandparenting with Purpose. You can find it at biblicalparenting.org
