Bending Down

It takes a village to raise a child. Thats not Hillary Clinton. That's an old African proverb.

Said less creatively: children are influenced by multiple adults models. That was my experience growing up. I was influenced by my parents, my grandparents, a Sunday School teacher, a football coach, an employer, and a few other scattered adult role models. Some of these people influenced me generally for good, and some of them influenced me for Christ. I am a product of their influences.

It takes a village (a church) to raise a child for Christ. It takes parents, and youth leaders, and pastors, and cookie table ladies, and other assorted people who are living out their faith in ways that our children see and absorb. Our collective witness can be powerful.

This whole process requires at least two things: a genuine faith and points of contact. Having a genuine faith means you have something spiritual and exemplory to pass on. Having points of contact means that you interact with the kids, and they get the message that you care about them.

Most of us adults interact with other adults in a zone that is 5-6 feet off the ground. I call this the adult zone. Meanwhile, the kids live and move in a zone that is significantly lower, about 2-4 feet off the ground. (Teens are somewhat higher!)

After our kids leave the home, most of us forget that the kid zone even exists. We are vaguely aware that alot of noise and activity is happening down there somewhere, but we are too busy talking in the adult zone to even see it.

In order to influence the younger generation you must bend down and talk to the kids.

If you do so, and you have a genuine faith, you can change the world of a child.

Bend down!

Here are some practical considerations:

1. Pray for the kids you see in church
2. Model reading the Bible for them
3. Share your faith story with them
4. Encourage them when they sing, serve, and use their talents for God
5. Be a passionate advocate of faith, and be fun and warm at the same time.

Challenges

We would all like to establish a spiritual home for our family. But doing so is not easy. Many things work against us. Our schools don't reinforce many of our spiritual values. TV, the internet, the movies, and the media often communicate the wrong things. The pace of life we live does not help with spiritual practices like prayer, reflection, quietness, community, or service. Our culture is too often at odds with what we are trying to impress upon our children. Its a huge challenge.

Sometimes it feels like we are paddling upstream.

In addition to all these common challenges, your family may also have unique circumstances that make establishing a Christian home even more difficult. For example:

• Some of you did not grow up in a Christian home and don't know what one looks like.
• Some of you came to faith late to the game, getting serious about God when your kids were older and less adaptable
• Some of you are single parents, are juggling lots of balls and are worn out
• Some of you have an unbelieving spouse, and therefore no united front
• Some of you have kids who are particularly challenging
• Some of you can't have kids at all
• Some of you have kids who are already grown, and you have regrets about things you wished you had done

Despite these challenges I'm convinced that everyone who desires to build a good spiritual environment for their kids can do so. And it could all start today.

Here are two things everyone can do no matter what their circumstances:

1. You can pray for your kids.
2. You can set a good spiritual example for your kids.

Continue to read and memorize Deuteronomy 6.4-9. This brief passage of scripture, called the Shema by the Jewish community, can truly change the way you lead your family.

Shema

If you want your children to grow up with strong spiritual values and a personal relationship with Christ, then a good place to start is in Deuteronomy 6.4-9.

This passage of scripture is known in the Jewish community as the Shema. Orthodox Jews recite these six verses twice a day every day of their lives.

So, today read this important passage slowly and thoughtfully:

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Ponder these questions:

Do your children see a deeply imbedded faith in your life? Is the faith "on your heart?"
Is "impressing the faith on them" a top level priority for your parenting?
Do you talk about the faith throughout the day with your kids? Sitting at home? On the road?
Are there reminders everywhere that your home is a place of faith?

If not, today is a good day to start.

We have asked our church people to recite these verses twice a day and memorize them. It will be a life changing experience for us. Join us!

Home Makeover

Yesterday was so much fun. I got to demolish a house made out of graham crackers during my message. It was great. I used a big hammer and whacked away at it, resulting in hundreds of random bits of cracker flying everywhere. What a rush! I wish I could do it every Sunday! Now I know how Gallagher felt when he wailed on watermelons with the sledge-o-matic.

The house I destroyed represents a way of doing family life that is woefully inadequate and deserves to be demolished. In these poorly constructed homes Christ is not central. Prayers are not said and the bible is not read. The kids look at mom and dad and do not see a passionate love of Jesus. Academics and sports and moving up the corporate ladder are the big issues in the family, and spiritual values are not talked about, modeled, or seen as crucial. Parents rely on the church to teach spiritual values. They drop off the kids at church and hope the spiritual experts can Christianize their kids.

This does not work. Homes built like this need an extreme makeover.

Studies show that parents are 2-3 times more important in their children's spiritual development than anything the church tries to do. And the Bible places the responsibility of spiritual nurture squarely on the shoulders of parents. Parents are given the responsibility to teach, train, model, and impress the things of God upon their children.

It can be done And you can do it.

Joshua said "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Will you?

Take a look at Deuteronomy 6.4-9 this week.