My good friend "Dewey" Brandon Wright called me today to discuss the arrest of seven Al Qaeda wannabes in Miami who were plotting to destroy the Sears Tower in Chicago. If you look at the photos of the men, one disturbing fact becomes clear rather quickly: these men were all young adults. Furthermore, the majority were American citizens and committed Muslims. Their goal? To wage jihad in the name of Allah and to "kill as many devils [American Christians] as possible." While this arrest was shocking for a number of reasons, Brandon was right to point out a lesson that should be learned by all evangelicals with regard to raising our children: there is little commitment to the cause of Christ in the church.
If you examine the typical evangelical youth group or parent, you will find that the focus is often on games, activities, daily quiet times, weekly attendance of corporate worship, etc. Education is often viewed (by parents and youth) as a means to an end. "If Johnny does well in these classes, he can get into a good college. If he gets into a good college, he can get a good job. If he gets a good job, he can live happily ever after." Christian education is viewed the same way. "If Johnny knows his Bible and is obedient to its teachings, he will be happier and a better father/husband. He will also stay out of trouble." There is a problem with this approach. Activities and games are nice - but they don't prepare children for the future. All of our chidren need education, but the goal should not be for them to live "happily ever after" or even to stay out of trouble (although we all want that to some degree).
The goal of parents, youth leaders, and pastors should be to train up a future generation of Christian Warriors with the same level of commitment to the cause of Christ that these Al Qaeda wannabes had for Allah, albeit with a different approach. We should be preparing our children to take the world for Christ, to engage the culture with a biblical worldview, and to carry the gospel of Jesus Christ aggressively to every nation of the world. Their weapons will not be bombs, guns, or suicide missions, but rather the gospel and the spiritual gifts with which God has equipped them.
When our children are young, we teach them that they exist for God's glory. Question two of our children's catechism is "Why did God make you? For His own Glory." Every child in our church can answer this question. We need to make sure they can also apply the answer. From the time they are young we need to help them view their future in terms of service to the kingdom of God. This does not mean that we push them all into vocational ministry such as the pastorate. Rather, we encourage our children to evaluate their strengths, weaknesses, and passions in light of God's Word and consider how they may use those gifts of grace to impact the kingdom of Christ.
If children are passionate about animals and want to be a vet, challenge them to go to a third- world country and teach their citizens how to be better farmers while using their expertise as a bridge for proclaiming the gospel. If they want to be doctors, challenge them to not only be the best doctor they can be, but to be a Christian doctor that works to proclaim the sanctity of human life and defend the innocent. If they want to be lawyers, challenge them to defend the rights of Christian students and professors in secular universities and public schools. If they are creative and want to be artists or musicians, challenge them to use those gifts to spread the gospel and teach the world that real beauty is found only in Jesus Christ. If they want to go into business and have an entrepreneurial spirit, challenge them to use those gifts for the kingdom. The world needs more Christian business owners who will bring the ethics of the kingdom to bear upon the world. The world needs more Christian newspaper editors, Christian publishers, Christian politicians, Christian judges, and Christian teachers. The world needs our children to grow up with the heart, knowledge, and desire to affect policy at the highest levels of society. The world also needs Christian engineers, mechanics, welders, construction workers, and yes, even coffee baristas who will view their jobs as opportunities to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who would otherwise not hear.
The world needs more missionaries. Not passive men and women that are afraid of dialogue and confrontation for the sake of the kingdom, but men and women that exude the confidence that comes from the gospel and was modeled by the Apostle Paul's ministry. Consider the words and example of Russell Moore in a blog from June of 2005...
If you examine the typical evangelical youth group or parent, you will find that the focus is often on games, activities, daily quiet times, weekly attendance of corporate worship, etc. Education is often viewed (by parents and youth) as a means to an end. "If Johnny does well in these classes, he can get into a good college. If he gets into a good college, he can get a good job. If he gets a good job, he can live happily ever after." Christian education is viewed the same way. "If Johnny knows his Bible and is obedient to its teachings, he will be happier and a better father/husband. He will also stay out of trouble." There is a problem with this approach. Activities and games are nice - but they don't prepare children for the future. All of our chidren need education, but the goal should not be for them to live "happily ever after" or even to stay out of trouble (although we all want that to some degree).
The goal of parents, youth leaders, and pastors should be to train up a future generation of Christian Warriors with the same level of commitment to the cause of Christ that these Al Qaeda wannabes had for Allah, albeit with a different approach. We should be preparing our children to take the world for Christ, to engage the culture with a biblical worldview, and to carry the gospel of Jesus Christ aggressively to every nation of the world. Their weapons will not be bombs, guns, or suicide missions, but rather the gospel and the spiritual gifts with which God has equipped them.
When our children are young, we teach them that they exist for God's glory. Question two of our children's catechism is "Why did God make you? For His own Glory." Every child in our church can answer this question. We need to make sure they can also apply the answer. From the time they are young we need to help them view their future in terms of service to the kingdom of God. This does not mean that we push them all into vocational ministry such as the pastorate. Rather, we encourage our children to evaluate their strengths, weaknesses, and passions in light of God's Word and consider how they may use those gifts of grace to impact the kingdom of Christ.
If children are passionate about animals and want to be a vet, challenge them to go to a third- world country and teach their citizens how to be better farmers while using their expertise as a bridge for proclaiming the gospel. If they want to be doctors, challenge them to not only be the best doctor they can be, but to be a Christian doctor that works to proclaim the sanctity of human life and defend the innocent. If they want to be lawyers, challenge them to defend the rights of Christian students and professors in secular universities and public schools. If they are creative and want to be artists or musicians, challenge them to use those gifts to spread the gospel and teach the world that real beauty is found only in Jesus Christ. If they want to go into business and have an entrepreneurial spirit, challenge them to use those gifts for the kingdom. The world needs more Christian business owners who will bring the ethics of the kingdom to bear upon the world. The world needs more Christian newspaper editors, Christian publishers, Christian politicians, Christian judges, and Christian teachers. The world needs our children to grow up with the heart, knowledge, and desire to affect policy at the highest levels of society. The world also needs Christian engineers, mechanics, welders, construction workers, and yes, even coffee baristas who will view their jobs as opportunities to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who would otherwise not hear.
The world needs more missionaries. Not passive men and women that are afraid of dialogue and confrontation for the sake of the kingdom, but men and women that exude the confidence that comes from the gospel and was modeled by the Apostle Paul's ministry. Consider the words and example of Russell Moore in a blog from June of 2005...
"Why I’m Raising Violent 4 Year-Olds"
"A reader sent along an objection to my mention that I took my two 4 year-old sons to see the new Star Wars movie. The reader is upset because the Star Wars film is “way too violent for children.” Now, I did check out the Star Wars film first. I would not take my children to see Kill Bill or The Silence of the Lambs for instance (nor would I see them myself).
"Nonetheless, this is the second movie my children have ever seen in their lives. One was a tender, touching Christmas movie about a little boy who discovers that Christmas is all about believing in the miracles within. The second was a cartoonishly violent movie in which men go face-to-face with evil aliens; often chopping off limbs in the heat of battle. As I think about my film choices for my children, I will admit that I repent....of taking them to the Christmas film.
"This is because of my overall philosophy of childrearing. I am aiming to raise up violent sons.
I am not seeking to raise sons who are violent in the amoral, pagan sense of contemporary teenagers playing Grand Theft Auto video games or carjacking motorists. I want them to be more violent than that.
"I want them to understand that the Christian life is not a Hallmark Channel version of baptized sentimentality. Instead, it is a cosmic battle between an evil dragon and the child of the woman, an ancient warfare that now includes all who belong to the Child of the Promise (Rev 12). I want them to forgive their enemies, not because they are good boys, but because they understand that vengeance against the Serpent comes not from their hand, but from that of the anointed Warrior-King (Rev 19), whose blood-soaked garments don’t often transfer to the imagery of a Precious Moments wall-hanging. And I want them to exercise self-control of their passions, not because it is polite, but because they are called to struggle against the Evil One, even to the point of cutting off their own limbs rather than succumb to devices.
"The Star Wars movie offered the opportunity to talk through these issues of cosmic struggle with my boys. And to place such themes in context of what they already know from the most blessedly violent bedtime stories they hear every day: the Holy Scriptures."
"Nonetheless, this is the second movie my children have ever seen in their lives. One was a tender, touching Christmas movie about a little boy who discovers that Christmas is all about believing in the miracles within. The second was a cartoonishly violent movie in which men go face-to-face with evil aliens; often chopping off limbs in the heat of battle. As I think about my film choices for my children, I will admit that I repent....of taking them to the Christmas film.
"This is because of my overall philosophy of childrearing. I am aiming to raise up violent sons.
I am not seeking to raise sons who are violent in the amoral, pagan sense of contemporary teenagers playing Grand Theft Auto video games or carjacking motorists. I want them to be more violent than that.
"I want them to understand that the Christian life is not a Hallmark Channel version of baptized sentimentality. Instead, it is a cosmic battle between an evil dragon and the child of the woman, an ancient warfare that now includes all who belong to the Child of the Promise (Rev 12). I want them to forgive their enemies, not because they are good boys, but because they understand that vengeance against the Serpent comes not from their hand, but from that of the anointed Warrior-King (Rev 19), whose blood-soaked garments don’t often transfer to the imagery of a Precious Moments wall-hanging. And I want them to exercise self-control of their passions, not because it is polite, but because they are called to struggle against the Evil One, even to the point of cutting off their own limbs rather than succumb to devices.
"The Star Wars movie offered the opportunity to talk through these issues of cosmic struggle with my boys. And to place such themes in context of what they already know from the most blessedly violent bedtime stories they hear every day: the Holy Scriptures."
To that I say "Amen and Amen!"
I look forward to your comments.
Chris
