There is one key thing that must drive imperfect and normal families like yours towards God's very best. It is the essential element of defining your objective. Nailing down why you are doing what you are doing will empower much of what you do.
Too many times, (good Christian) parents have it as their goal to make their kids good and moral. It is as if the entire purpose of their spiritual life is to shape their children into law abiding citizens who stay out of trouble. The only problem with this goal is that it runs in stark contrast to what the Bible teaches. The gospel is not about making bad people moral, but about making dead people alive. If we teach morality without the transforming power of the gospel and the necessity of a life fully surrendered to God's will, then we are raising moral pagans.
We end up teaching the wrong thing because we have the wrong objective.
This sentiment was stirred in me afresh when I read an interview in World Magazine with Veggie Tales creator Phil Vischer. Here's an excerpt from the article...
Phil Vischer, the creator of Veggie Tales, went bankrupt in 2003, sold the franchise, and turned to other ventures. In an interview with World Magazine, he says how he realized that the "Christian" message of those talking vegetables was not Christianity at all.
"I looked back at the previous 10 years and realized I had spent 10 years trying to convince kids to behave Christianly without actually teaching them Christianity. And that was a pretty serious conviction. You can say, "Hey kids, be more forgiving because the Bible says so," or "Hey kids, be more kind because the Bible says so!" But that isn't Christianity, it's morality. . .
And that was such a huge shift for me from the American Christian ideal. We're drinking a cocktail that's a mix of the Protestant work ethic, the American dream, and the gospel. And we've intertwined them so completely that we can't tell them apart anymore. Our gospel has become a gospel of following your dreams and being good so God will make all your dreams come true. It's the Oprah god. So I had to peel that apart. I realized I'm not supposed to be pursuing impact, I'm supposed to be pursuing God. And when I pursue God I will have exactly as much impact as He wants me to have."
So what is your objective? Do you unintentionally teach your kids "be good because the Bible tells you to" or do you teach your kids to live a life fully yielded to Christ for His glory? Because there's a big difference.
If I'm honest, I find few families in the church today who are doing the latter. The vast majority of parents I encounter are encouraging moral behavior in their kids so that God will bless their (usually self-centered) pursuits. It's the American Dream plus Jesus.
Phil Vischer finally got this. What about you?
Recent Comments