Some kids grow up well
grounded in their relationship with God. They develop into mature Christians with their own walk
with Christ. They live lives of
righteousness and service to God and to others.
They manage the inevitable stresses and struggles of life with strength tapping
into the grace of God. They seek the
Lord and walk in holiness. Other kids
grow up good-hearted people with shallow grounding in their faith or none at
all. They remain at best "babes in Christ" with only an occasional, episodic connection with God at Christmas and
Easter. They miss out on the
inexhaustible grace of God in times of struggles and stress. They ignore God most of the time if not
completely, and they walk following paths of their own
choosing.
Most Christians know both
kinds of kids who take two divergent paths in life. What is it that differentiates the two
different outcomes? Why the two
different paths? I ask these questions
because I am the grandfather for the first time of a nine-month old little
boy. I want him to grow-up completely. I want him to be physically, socially,
emotionally, and spiritual healthy. I
want him to have a personal, intimate relationship with God and develop into a
man of holiness and righteousness. I
have some ideas of what needs to happen for God to shape and form him, bless
him, and make him a blessing to others.
The overarching factor in
his spiritual maturity and purity of heart is parents' engagement with their
child in the ways and means of becoming increasingly intimate with God
throughout his/her life. Parents cannot leave this to someone else. The home is the
primary setting for this to happen beginning at the earliest age. This means
loving parents who love her/him and each other. They read the Bible to him/her, help him get into the life-long habit of reading the Bible and making that a priority. They pray with her and together in the beginning of the day, at meals and at the end of
the day. They continue that throughout his life.
As he gets older, parents must see that he is engaged with other Christians (not
just children) in worship and ministry (and not just in nominal, entertainment
oriented church youth group activities). They participate with her in Christian service ministries to the poor, marginalized, and displaced. They encourage him as a young adult to stay the course, seek Spirit filled social contexts, and follow Christ. 
There is great developmental potential in viewing his spiritual journey as one in which he/she becomes increasing
acquainted with Jesus. This begins by
teaching him about God the Father, Christ the Son, and the Counselor and
Comforter Holy Spirit. It continues
helping him understand his identity as a sinner and seeking Christ’s forgiveness
and salvation. It progresses to helping
her in the spiritual disciplines and means of grace by which God grows her heart and her desire to be filled with the very presence of Christ and to love
the Lord with all her heart. It
continues with nurturing a heart of service and sacrifice for the good of
others.
Parents' spiritual leadership in the home is the key. Parents, and the social/spiritual
context they provide, are the key to a child’s development and maturity in
Christ. The Bible does not say, “Make
sure, parents, that you get your child into a good Sunday school or youth
group.” It doesn’t say, “Send your child
to a good summer camp or to the right school.”
I does say –
“Train up a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Prov. 22:6
No comments:
Post a Comment