Our Children

Our Children

“Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. 
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”  
When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.” 
Matthew 19:13-15

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”  The words of Jesus.
As Christians our Children are our future. We need to bring them up in our faith. Proverbs states,
“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” 
                                                        Proverbs 22:6.
This proverb does not say hit your children over the head with your bible or bash them with your faith.
Over the years I’ve seen many children of Christian parents turn from Christianity and it can be directly related as to how the parents presented their faith.
One friend of ours was constantly correcting her children by quoting the Bible. Another refused to let there children watch anything but Christians things on television. They refused to let them watch anything that didn’t have a g rating. They were never allowed to go to the cinema. Star wars and Star trek were even suspect.
When they realized that we let our children watch the Simpsons on television that our children were free to watch non-Christian programming and horror of horrors, science shows on evolution, they were horrified.
We were criticized by them. Even though we explained that especially with programs like the Simpsons, we used them as a way to discuss things with our kids.
We home schooled our children as did the people who criticized us. The difference was we encouraged free thought.
Education and social responsibility were taught to me by my father and mother. My parents were socialist (not communist) dad and mom were members of the English Labour party for most of their lives.
They truly believed that we all have a moral responsibility to help our fellow man.
My father had seen the horrors of what man could do to man during world war two when he was among the liberators of Bergen-Belsen.
It strengthened his resolve to do whatever he could do even to better his fellow man.
He instilled his beliefs in his children.
From as young as I can remember we had discussions on politics, religion and social situations around our dinner table and, we particularly as we entered our teen years, were expected to add to the discussion. Further more our opinions were respected
It was because of what he taught me that led me to embrace Christianity.
Jesus preached the importance of the individual. That God valued the life of the individual above all.
This is what I and my wife instilled in our children. We used everything from a trip to the bank, to Homer J. Simpson, to Stephen Hawkings a brief history of time, as well as many, many more things, and above all the Bible and God’s principles there in, to teach our children.
We were far from perfect when it come to our teaching but something worked. Today both my sons are very active in their church. I think they live there half the time.
My youngest now a carpenter goes off each year on short term mission trips to various countries around the world, to help build everything from schools and orphanages to even helping rebuild after hurricane Katrina.
Both are in love with God. Both still watch anything and everything on television although they don’t watch the Simpsons anymore, sorry Homer.
They still go to the movies and watch, Star Trek, Spiderman, and Star Wars.
My oldest son soon to be married is having a Star Wars stag and doe.
And somewhere amid all the activity we all sit down including my soon to be daughter in law, discuss the scriptures the state of Christianity and the state of our society both nationally and internationally.
Sadly many of the children of the friends that criticized us years ago are no longer serving the Lord. They’ve moved out of their parents home and don’t go to church.
My son’s are still in touch with some of them and witnesses when they gets a chance. But they are far from God.
I think it is imperative that we as Christian parents need to be careful how we present our faith to our children and indeed our grandchildren. We need to heed the words of Joshua Loth Liebman who wrote,
“Give your children unconditional love, a love that is not dependent on report cards, clean hands, or popularity.  Give your children a sense of your whole-hearted acceptance, acceptance of their human frailties as well as their abilities and virtues.  Give your children your permission to grow up to make their own lives independent of you.  Give them a sense of truth; make them aware of themselves as citizens of a universe in which there are many obstacles as well as fulfilments.  Bestow upon your child the blessings of your faith.  These are the laws of honouring your son and your daughter.  Out of these laws will be built the Declaration of Independence for the coming generation, a spiritual and emotional independence that, in turn, will make the world free, democratic, safe, creative.”  
Think about it.