I listened to a debate on the role of religion in Schools in the UK, called "The big debate". One of the panelists was atheist Richard Dawkins. As the others were discussing "Christian children", and "Muslim Children", and "Hindu Children", he stopped them and said, "I have to say, that there is no such thing as a Cristian Child, or a Muslim Child, because they have never chosen that religion for themselves."
I had to agree with him 100%. One thing that I have observed so much in Christian circles, and among friends of mine, is that children of Christians are not Christians who never make it real to themselves. If God doesn't penetrate their hearts to awaken them to the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, they are not Christians.
So I have been thinking, do I want to "brainwash" my sons? I will of course teach them the Bible, but what efforts can I take to bring them to that personal decision of treasuring Christ themselves. There is, indeed, no such thing as a child who is a Christian simply because their parents are, but oh how I long to see my sons make that personal choice themselves. I don't want them to be a Christian because Mom and Dad are, but because they have studied and learned and been exposed to other things, and have found that God is the only source of (to borrow a quote from Piper) 'all-satisfying joy!' I fear that so many people never get to the point where they can answer the "why" questions of Christianity. Why am I Christian? Why did Christ have to die? Why is Christ the only way? Why is salvation a message of pure, unadultered, grace? Those are the questions that I want my sons to be able to answer with passion and confidence.
So, is brainwashing my sons in Christianity a good thing? How can I strike the balance between teaching them the doctrines of Christ, while exposing them to other views enough to where they can make their own decision?
We as parents have to make it a point to expose their own, individual sinful heart. We play a big part (not the whole part) in revealing to them that they are a sinner. We must also play a big part in showing them how Christ made provision for the sinner. Giving them the "dots" and letting the Holy Spirit "connect" them are key.
ReplyDeletesmitty (the poet)
There is nothing more important than the Word of God in training our children. We can constantly be reading them the Word and having them memorize it thereby instilling it into their hearts, but not necessarily forcing our own beliefs on them. We can guide them with understanding, but in the end they will have the Word and know the Word, so that the Lord can direct their paths.
ReplyDeleteI recommend Ted Tripp's book "Shepherding a Child's Heart". He really emphasizes the importance of not giving your child a false sense of security in regards to salvation, but not squelching their faith when they show a desire to follow Christ. He also gives you pointers on how to speak to your child about the big issues in life.
ReplyDeleteFitz and other brothers and sisters in the body, this is definitely an interesting topic especially for those of us who are not parents and can not fully comprehend the responsibilies/pressures that come with being one. I am only chiming in on this topic because this exact thing happened to me. As a child I prayed a prayer with my mom fully believing that I had been saved at age 5. But something I realized later is that head knowledge is very different than accepting something in your heart. "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it" are some powerful words. It was not until MUCH later... halfway through college, that the head knowledge finally hit home. I was in church and I think I finally got the proper view of all that Christ had done for me... when I was a full-fledged sinner and anything but desirable to him. The love was overwhelming. That knowledge that I had been taught growing up finally came to fruition and revolutionized my life... and I have never been the same since. This post also opened my eyes a lot, and you can be sure some extra prayers will be going up for you and all my Christian parent friends who are dealing with bringing up their children to love God in their hearts, not just their heads.
ReplyDeleteI have often struggle with that myself. Was I saved at age 5 when I first felt the weight of my sin and impending judgement then prayed the "salvation prayer"? Or did I come to faith in Christ much later, when head knowledge became heart knowledge. It is hard for me to know for sure as far as the when's; but I know in my heart that I have trusted Christ and it is evident that He is transforming me even now. The difficulty comes in trying to reconcile the "evidences of grace" and the transformation in my life and mind, with my minds recollection of how these things came to be.
ReplyDelete~Smitty
Thanks for all the helpful comments. Casey, thanks for the recommendation. My sister had given me that book and I had not read it yet for some dumb reason. He has a section ("Shepherding the internalization of the gospel") on this very topic that was was very good. Some of his comments were:
ReplyDelete"Sometimes parents are tempted to panic when their children have questions. They respond with things like,"I can't believe you are doubting God,", or "You just have to believe it," or "It is best not to question those things."
Encourage your children not to run from questions....Christian faith is robust enough to stand close scrutiny.
Above all, don't panic during these times. Walk through them with your kids, entrusting them and your training and their salvation to Almighty God." (pg. 204)
Excellent perspective! Honest, purely motivated Questioning equals growth, and finding answers will lead to the heart transformation that is essential.