To be a God parent – honourable and very responsible mission. But before taking the responsibility to God for the child, the person needs to estimate objectively himself and to solve whether he will be able to become the good Godfather.
In what cases it is better to refuse to be the Godfather
There is an opinion that it is impossible to refuse the offer to be a God parent – allegedly it is a sin. However godparents are responsible, first of all, for morality of the godson therefore they have to take the responsibility for spiritual education of the child.
Godparents have to be the orthodox believing people having high moral qualities. To present the child with gifts – neither the only, nor the main function of Godfathers. Spending time with the godson, Godfathers have to talk to it on subjects of good, love, moral values. They have to acquaint the child with church: to visit with him the temple, to drive on a participle, to learn prayers, to tell about God. According to church attendants, godparents have to have belief and repentance and are called to transfer them, to teach them the godson.
Deliberating over the offer to become the Godfather, ask yourself a question – whether you will pray for this child, how for the native? If you understand that you do not conform to these requirements, or do not feel in yourself forces to help parents with religious education of the child, do not assign an excessive burden to the shoulders. It is worse to be the bad Godfather, than to refuse to be him.
How to refuse the offer to be a Godfather
If you fully realized that you are not ready to responsibility which is conferred on Godfathers, and do not feel desire to care for the godson, but are afraid the refusal to spoil the friendly relations with parents of the kid, be prepared for a conversation with them. It is possible to assume that when friends have a kid, you will be suggested to be become the Godfather because the good friend is, as a rule, a potential Godfather. Foreknowing about it, do not answer immediately their offer. Let parents of the kid know that the fact that they want to entrust spiritual education of the child to you is very pleasant to you. Explain that you take the sacrament of baptism seriously and you know what has to be the good Godfather. Ask for them time to think. Thereby you will prepare the friends for the fact that your answer can be not only affirmative. In passing explain to them what functions godparents have to perform. Young parents can not know about them. Hint that you not fully have some qualities necessary for religious education of the child. Refusing to become the Godfather, honestly tell parents that you will not be able to pay sufficient attention to their child, are not ready to teach it to morality, but at the same time you love their kid and will communicate with it, even without becoming the Godfather. Parents want for the child all the best and, undoubtedly, will understand your refusal, and it will not affect your friendship in any way.