A fellow-blogger mummy and fellow believer-in-Christ over at Our Everyday Things wrote about whether it was enough simply raising morally good children. She said she was “rebuked” by this article: How to Raise a Pagan Kid in a Christian Home — I.N.F.O. For Families.
i read that article and indeed it is an eye-opener! It is a definite wake-up call for me, personally.
i was raised Asian, which means respect for elders and authority is way up there on the what-to-teach-your-children list, along with being good to people around you and doing well in your studies. And yes, even though we try very hard to be different parents, trying to give our son a better (what is, in our limited view, better) upbringing than what we had. (For the record, i think my parents did a super job – that’s not to say i’m perfect but i can not complain about how i was brought up.) We try to be liberal enough to not hinder his creative side but we also want to be strict enough so that he’s not growing up a ‘wild’ child.
BUT… having read that article i realised i have failed – big time… i have failed to teach my child that it is God’s standards that he has to live up to, not ours. And more importantly, that he can not meet that Heavenly standard without fully and completely depending on the Lord to lead him, guide him and help him.
i have always encouraged him to try and try cos that’s the way we learn and grow. i have always said to him that he can do it as long as he tries. But i have neglected to let him know that as humans we will fail if we try to live the 100% good life because humans are fallen and can never be 100% good. We need God.
i need to teach him that he needs to depend on God, who knows everything, made everything and can give him everything he needs.
i need to remember:
If your goals are focused on your kids’ behavior, their happiness, or their accomplishments (but don’t include a dependence upon Christ and a submission to His will and work), then you might want to make some adjustments.
Because the world has enough pagans. Even plenty of really nice ones. What we need is kids who fully grasp the reality that they have nothing to offer, but who intimately know a God who has everything they need.
What are your thoughts on this?
syc
trippingdifferently 
That is so true. We need to hold up God as the standard that we and our kids measure everything else by and the standard that we base our actions upon serving and honoring. Thanks for the awesome reminder!
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You are most welcomed! i, myself, was reminded by another friend/sister.
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Amen. That’s right on. I’ve read that article, too. The purpose behind everything we do is doing it for the Lord. We need all the help we can get with parenting in our world today. We have a 7-year-old son and are doing everything we can to give him the foundation he needs to succeed in his faith. I’d like to recommend a book I just started reading that I’m very excited about by Dr. Tony Evans called “Raising Kingdom Kids: Giving Your Child a Living Faith.” He says, “It’s far easier to SHAPE A CHILD than to REPAIR AN ADULT. Raising kids who recognize and retain their identity as children of the King launches healthy adults who have the capacity to stand strong in their faith.” One of my favorite quotes is simply, “Instructing your children in the Lord means spending time with them so they can see how you live out the gospel.” That’s your “Leading by Example.” There are free downloadable samples on his website. I highly recommend it! http://www.raisingkingdomkids.com
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Thank you so much for stopping & for your recommendation – i will look into it! 🙂
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