Train Your Children Well

For any of us who are parents, we have concerns over whether we are raising our kids rightly, if they will turn out OK. For Christian parents, the concern is that they would also become Christians. However, we all have different approaches toward reaching those goals. Some see their primary responsibility as bringing their kids to church where they will be exposed to the Christian message and culture. Others take a more hands-on approach, teaching their children through devotions, Bible studies, and the like. Maybe they’ll put their kids into Christian school trying to immerse them in Christian culture.

Can I suggest something that has been perhaps more significant in our life than all of those wonderful things? It’s small group. Now I can hear most of you thinking, “Sure he’ll say that – He’s the Groups guy!” But hear me out. You have to admit that most of what your kids truly learn and adopt is caught, not taught. They look to parents, grandparents, peers, and cultural icons to determine how they will live their lives. And we have found, and seen in the lives of countless others, that when we live out the implications of the gospel which we profess, when our kids see us seeking to live faithful lives in the community which God has prepared for us, it has a profound impact on their spiritual development. Our kids have seen us shuffle our schedule, even say “no” to some neat opportunities, because our fellowship community was a priority for us. Our daughters learned how to love people, even difficult people, through our group experiences. They learned how to serve and how to encourage others. They have learned to look for spiritual gifts in others and point out those they see. Most importantly, they understand what it means to belong and how the worst experience of life is not physical pain, but the pain of loneliness and separation, from God and from His people.

Do you want your kids to grow spiritually? I suggest that you consider how you can start living out your faith in ways that are intentional. A great way is to get involved in a group. Make the hard decisions that carve out time for community. And take your kids along on the journey. They’re watching you to see what you really believe – our behaviors betray the innermost desires of our hearts.