In the Spirit
Parenting has never been easy, has it? As a father of four children, I know the joys and challenges of trying to raise this next generation. It's a tough job, but for most of us, we enter it with enthusiasm. P.J. O'Rourke puts it this way, "Humans are the only creatures that have children on purpose, with the exception of guppies, who like to eat theirs." I am realizing that parenting is a job that also never ends. I like Elizabeth Stone's comment: "Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."
At Hope, we've been asking the question: What does it take to pass our faith onto this next generation? What is our responsibility as parents and what is the church's responsibility in raising up this next generation to love God? In Deuteronomy 6, Moses addresses the people of Israel and issues them this challenge: "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." From these four verses, flow four essentials in parenting:
Keep God the focus: It is so easy to get distracted by things that are not that important. God wants to be No. 1 in your family's life. He alone is God. Help your kids to see that God is more important than sports, achievements, the latest technology or your finances. When troubles come, who do you go to for help as a family? Do you pray? What is priority on your calendar each week? Are you worshipping regularly as a family? Do you put God first?
Make your own faith personal: You can't pass down something that is not real for yourself. Our kids are watching us! As parents and grandparents, we have to be growing in our faith in Christ. This doesn't mean we have to be perfect, but rather that we are learning to trust God and love Him. Our faith is alive and active. This means you are reading your Bible, talking to God throughout the day, looking for ways to serve others, etc. Your kids see your faith as personal and active.
Develop rhythms for family life: Moses says that we are to talk about our faith with our kids when we sit at home, when we walk on the road, when we lie down and when we get up. For today's culture, this means at meal times, when we are in the car, when we put our kids to bed and when we wake up in the morning. We have to be intentional and consistent in talking about Jesus' teachings with our kids. There are lots of tools out there to help us with this.
Widen the circle: Moses addresses this parenting challenge to the whole nation of Israel. This means it is really the whole community's job to raise up the next generation to follow the Lord. Although parents are primary, kids need multiple influences to help them grow and mature. Parents must be intentional in helping to provide other trusted adults who can be additional voices and reinforce values. Of course, this is a great benefit that comes from being a part of a local church!
Abraham Lincoln said this: "A child is a person who is going to carry on what you have started. He will assume control of your cities, states and nations. He is going to move in and take over your churches, schools, universities and corporations. The fate of humanity is in his hands." May God help us all as we seek to raise up this next generation to love God and follow Him.
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The Rev. Peter Balentine is pastor of Hope Community Church, Newburyport.
