Was I a Bad Parent? Part 2

Last week, we met Arianna, broken-hearted over her son's rejection of Jesus (please read that post first HERE before you read this one). This week, we look at the disconnect in Scripture between parents' faith and kids' faithfulness by examining the "Samuel Syndrome." And then we conclude with my final pastoral words to Arianna--three truths that I hope helped her deal with this real heartbreak. 

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The Samuel Syndrome

Samuel was a seminal figure in Israel’s history and, by all accounts, a faithful servant of God (see 1 Samuel 2:35 and 12:1 – 5). Yet both his kids rebelled against God:

“When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel…However, his sons did not walk in his ways--they turned toward dishonest profit, took bribes, and perverted justice” (1 Samuel 8:1, 3).

Some Christian authors have put the blame for this on Samuel, assuming he failed as a father (warning that ministry can get in the way of parenting), but nowhere does Scripture even hint at this. It just says that Samuel’s sons turned out to be miserable characters. Eli — ​whom Samuel succeeded — ​is specifically charged with not restraining his sons (1 Samuel 3:13), so the fact that the Bible remains silent about Samuel’s alleged failure could mean that God doesn't fault him for his kids’ choice to lead ungodly lives.

Or maybe Samuel was just a fabulous prophet (one of the most faithful in history) and a substandard parent. God doesn’t give us enough info to judge.