We hold the key

I look forward to my church's 'Baptism Sunday'. We have two or three a year and it's quite a big deal. When each person rises out of the water the whole congregation jumps to their feet and cheers like we were watching the Chiefs actually win a game. It's a time for tears as you listen to each testimony.

The youngest one this morning looked barely old enough to read and his written testimony was only a few sentence long. It was short and to the point. Oh, the innocence and wonder of child-like faith. I sat there and watched the beaming faces of the parents who were standing near by. Their son did not come to faith by attending Sunday School for one hour a week. My bet is he received the bulk of his foundation elsewhere.

In the story of David and Goliath we read an interesting inquiry. Just prior to the fight King Saul approaches on of David's brothers and asks, "What sort of family does this young fellow come from?" (1 Samuel 17:55 TLB). Why do you think he asks that question? I have a theory.

In his book, The Most Important Place on Earth, Robert Wolgemuth says of raising godly children, "You get one shot at this homebuilding thing. Only one. And time is not on your side." The most important place on earth is a Christian home, according to Wolgemuth - and i would agree. Sadly, gone is the era of Little House on the Prairie or even Leave it to Beaver. Parents and kids just don't interact together anymore. We're too busy. Teens have minimal social skills because their friendships are largely driven by texting. Email, cell phones, and soccer have replaced family interaction.

A far cry from today's parent-child conversations about "God" is found in Deuternomy 6. "These commandment that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress then on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk on the road, when you lie down and when you get up...Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates." (v. 6-9)

There it is again.. the home. It all starts in the home. Saul asked about David's home. Personally I think we have amazing teachers in our Chidren's Ministry at church. But even the best can't effectively grow our kids' faith in the hour a week they have. The burden remains on us, as parents the remaining 6 days and 23 hours.

Many of us don't know what a Christian home looks like. I was raised in the church but i couldn't say my home was any different than the next. That is no disrespect to my mom who did her best to raise me on her own. Her childhood - at home - was worse. The chain has to be broken and it must start with us. You don't need all the answers, but simply the commitment to make a change and the humility to ask the Father for help. You can't do it without him anyway.

It's hard work guys. Nothing worth having is easy. Be intentional about every opportunity. It may only be 5 minutes at breakfast. It's a start. Don't eat in silence. Ask your kids questions. Enter their world. Eat dinner together. Talk about your day, ask them about theirs. Mention something that reminded you of God, or a situation you are needing guidance on (and that you prayed about it). Ask a child to say the dinner blessing. Spend a few minutes with them at bedtime. Find little ways to show your children that God is very real and part of your life every day. This is more difficult if you have older teens because they are now realizing they have all the answers and you are stupid - but that's another blog. The point is to just start. I want my kids to have a stronger faith than I by the time they leave the house. We only get one shot. "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6