This morning's reading was a good one. I was struck by this verse.
14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15 When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
I've read this many times, and heard countless sermons on it. But, it has special meaning for me lately. Kim and I have been slowly releasing the "church" responsibilities of the kids over the past couple of years. Not forcing them to go to youth group, and not volunteering on Sunday mornings. The hope is that their faith will cease to be their parent's thing, and start to be theirs. My belief is that it only sticks if you discover it for yourself. But, they are moving in exactly the wrong direction, at least for my desire. Both of them are not seeing faith as something that is important to them. Which brings me back to this verse. I think the reason Christ talks about child-like faith, is that it is pure. It isn't weighed down with analysis and counterpoint. Its just faith because that's the way you told me it is. I love that.
I know the boys will find it....because it's modeled all around them in several people. But, their path will include more pain than if they had the child-like faith.
tp
what you wrote is so tough and so true. Our kids need their faith to be their own faith not some they do out of obligation to us. We have also allowed more freedom for Luke and I think he will make good choices and has already made some good ones. Like you said I think we have models around our kids and in the long run they will discover on their own why they need to follow Jesus but my desire is to help then make good choices not stand on the sidelines.
ReplyDelete23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.
For those of us in the USA we are generally rich and for those of us later in our careers with good jobs financial independence can be a dangerous, he says it in black and white. It is so important to stay in close relationship with him and not drift into self reliance because their is no future without Him. I hope to be sharing this time in his word with for as long as I am physically able brother.
knut