More Than Good Girls & Boys?
"You have hear it said...but I tell you,"
quoted many times in Matthew 5
I was sitting in a children's Christian education class recently and began to hear the teacher talk about what it might look like for the people of God to embrace God's plans for their lives. When asked "What might God want you to do for Him?" it was very interesting. They sounded like a bunch of good boy and girl scouts. They would help up a child who fell off his or her bike. They would not cut in line at school. They would not tell a lie. And the list of moralism's went on.
I sat there wondering if just one child had the desire or education to go beyond...to excel...to hope for more.
I immediately rationalized that I must be too ambitious. So much so ambitious that it is unfair to expect that these children would move that way themselves.
But then I thought about a candy bar. (Bear with me, I know it is a strange leap.) If I was to ask the children if they would want one- certainly they would say yes. If I held up another candy bar- only this time, twice as large- I am sure they would want that one instead. Let's just say that I held up a two foot tall solid-milk chocolate bunny. Which would they choose?
Of course the biggest!
Maybe the issue isn't ambition- but rather payoff.
Could it be that our children haven't seen in us the payoff for passionate discipleship? I am not talking about a prosperity gospel...I am talking about an abundantly satisfying relationship with our Lord. I'm talking about Holy Living through Jesus Christ- satisfied by the love of our Heavenly Parent- and empowered for Kingdom work by God's Spirit!
So I'm back again...what might it look like for the people of God to embrace Our Lord's calling in our lives?
quoted many times in Matthew 5
I was sitting in a children's Christian education class recently and began to hear the teacher talk about what it might look like for the people of God to embrace God's plans for their lives. When asked "What might God want you to do for Him?" it was very interesting. They sounded like a bunch of good boy and girl scouts. They would help up a child who fell off his or her bike. They would not cut in line at school. They would not tell a lie. And the list of moralism's went on.
I sat there wondering if just one child had the desire or education to go beyond...to excel...to hope for more.
I immediately rationalized that I must be too ambitious. So much so ambitious that it is unfair to expect that these children would move that way themselves.
But then I thought about a candy bar. (Bear with me, I know it is a strange leap.) If I was to ask the children if they would want one- certainly they would say yes. If I held up another candy bar- only this time, twice as large- I am sure they would want that one instead. Let's just say that I held up a two foot tall solid-milk chocolate bunny. Which would they choose?
Of course the biggest!
Maybe the issue isn't ambition- but rather payoff.
Could it be that our children haven't seen in us the payoff for passionate discipleship? I am not talking about a prosperity gospel...I am talking about an abundantly satisfying relationship with our Lord. I'm talking about Holy Living through Jesus Christ- satisfied by the love of our Heavenly Parent- and empowered for Kingdom work by God's Spirit!
So I'm back again...what might it look like for the people of God to embrace Our Lord's calling in our lives?
posted by JVM at
6:14 AM
2 Comments:
Amen! I think that we sometimes squash our children's faith by our own example. I have on my wall a quote: Children are in more need of models than of critics. They pic up more from seeing that from telling. Are WE thinking and trusting God to "go big" or are we not expecting much and therefore they don't either?
By
Teresa, at Wednesday, June 08, 2005 1:17:00 AM
Excellent points...
I sometimes wonder ... when people (including children) have no felt needs, and "feel no need for God" how can we be effective in presenting them a God that they dont feel they need?
The saving grace I suppose, is that everyone does have a felt need for God (and that need shows up at times in our lives)...
In Christ,
John
www.GodSci.org
By
John, at Sunday, July 31, 2005 4:08:00 PM
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