Verse of the Week:
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. James 2:14-17
It Does Not Take a Church to Raise a Godly Child
I remember hearing someone say, "It takes a village to raise a child." In other words, everyone in society contributes to the well being, care, and raising of a family's child. Many families not only believe that it takes a village to raise a child, but that it also takes a Church to raise a godly child.
Suppose I get a brand new sewing machine (boy do I love sewing!). I am so excited about it, and can't wait to start doing all sorts of craft projects on it. I open up the instruction manual to figure out how to get it to work. The manual shows me what each button is for, how to put the thread in, how to use the pedal, and many other things I need to know in how to operate a sewing machine. But then something happens... When I try to do what the manual says, it doesn't work on the sewing machine. The thread won't go through, the pedal is broken, and the buttons do not do what the manual says they will do. I get frustrated, and end up taking the machine back to the store. I abandon it.
Just as I abandoned the sewing machine, because it doesn't do what the manual says it does, some children abandon their faith because what they hear in church is not shown in their home. They go to church and hear about Christ's love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness, but at home their parents show them the opposite. They hear one thing for an a couple of hours a week, but have a hard time believing it, because it is not shown in their own homes. So they abandon their faith believing it to not work.
The key to teaching our children about Jesus does not lie in church attendance, but in the parents. According to a survey given to Protestant youth, the most influential person in a teenager's life is not their youth pastor, but their Mom. Dad follows Mom in a close second. Out of all the influences out there for teens such as friends, siblings, relatives, youth pastors, television, radio, celebrities, teacher, coaches, retreats, and even the Bible, the parents are at the top of the list. *
Some parents may talk the talk but not walk the walk. James 2:14-17 says, 14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
To many teenagers, their parent's faith is dead. Their parent's faith is not reflected in their actions. They say one thing but do the other. Their life style does not reflect their love for God.
In Mark Holmen's book, Faith Begins at Home, he talks about a man who asked a group of parents at a conference an important question:
Every hand in the room went up. He then made a comment that I'll never forget. He said, "While it's good that everyone desires that our teenagers have a stronger faith, the truth is that what we see in our teenagers' faith is a mirror image of our own faith. So, the issue is not their faith, but your own faith."
I can still remember seeing the reaction of my one year old between two scenarios between Brian and I. In one scenario, Brian and I were both having a disagreement, and sadly enough my temper got the better of me, and I yelled. When I looked over at Brayden, it broke my heart; he was looking at me with a quizzical brow. Why was mom acting this way? In another scenario, Brian and I had been joking with each other and gave each other a hug and kiss. When I looked over at Brayden, he was beaming and smiling at us. He liked what he saw. Our one year old is way smarter than we realize, and in reflecting back to those scenarios, I realized which one I wanted to display to him on a daily basis, the scenario filled with love. I want him to grow up in a home where we display Christ's love in our actions.
One time a friend and I were talking about our upbringing and parents. She brought up a good point, "Katrina, I never took my mom's advice seriously because she never took her own advice." Why should kids love the Lord, if their own parents don't. Parents need to fix their own hearts first before changing their child's heart.
When I say change our hearts, I do not mean start getting wrapped up in a bunch of do's and do not's and obey God because you have too. When we accept Christ into our lives, a heart changing experience take place inside of us. No longer do we desire the things of the world, but the things of God. When we realize Christ's love for us, we can't help but love others. We do the right thing, not because we are commanded to do it, but because we are willing to do it. 1 Peter 5:2 says, "Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers- NOT BECAUSE YOU MUST, but BECAUSE YOU ARE WILLING, as God wants you to be. (emphasis mine)
Christ's love is shown through people (1 John 4:12). Parent's have the best chance to show Christ's love to their children. Church and no other outside influence can take their place.
Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it. -Proverbs 22:6
It doesn't take a village to raise a child or a church to raise a godly child....it takes a parent.
*Information found in-Faith Begins at Home, by Mark Holeman
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