There are few things that break a mother’s heart more than watching her adult child walk away from the faith she worked so hard to pass on.

You prayed for that child before they were born. You rocked them to sleep singing worship songs. You drove them to church, youth group, and Bible studies. You asked God to protect their heart and guide their future. And now they want nothing to do with the faith that once shaped their life.

When this happens, heartbreak isn’t the only emotion that shows up. Self-condemnation creeps in. What did I do wrong?  Fear takes hold. What will become of them?

Before long, our posture toward our child begins to change. We slip into fix-it mode. We scrutinize their decisions. Conversations feel tense and loaded. We may grow critical, guarded, or quietly resentful. Bitterness can begin to replace the tenderness we once felt so naturally.

It’s understandable. A wounded heart often tries to protect itself. But what if this response pulls us further away from the kind of love our child needs most?

God, in His kindness, has given us a picture of how to love a wayward child in one of the most beautiful parables Jesus ever told in Luke 15. You probably know it as The Parable of the Lost Son. While much attention is given to the prodigal, the real model in the story is the father.

His posture toward his wandering son reveals something profound about the heart of God and offers a powerful blueprint for parents learning to love an adult child who has wandered from faith. Here are six ways we can love our wayward adult children the way the father did.