Diving into the Spiritual Deep-End

In my 10+ years of intentional parent-watching, I've noticed many differences among parents and how they treat their children. But one that has always stood out to me is whether they talk to their children or talk down to them.

You know the ones I'm talking about. 

The ones that babytalk their four year olds. The ones that are just getting around to telling basic Bible stories at age five or six and don't ever discuss anything of real spiritual depth with their children. The ones that would never try to tackle something like the Trinity or Abraham & Isaac on Mt. Moriah with their children. 

These children get treated as if their minds aren't capable of much more than spiritual Teletubbies.

There is a deeper way, a more daily way. It was God's way for the Israelites- can you hear it resounding in your head? I hope you can. We hear it in Deuteronomy 6-

"These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.
You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you
sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and
when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall
be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of
your house and on your gates."

These "shall"s don't sound like suggestions to me. And they aren't qualified by an age. We aren't to start this when our sons are 10, 6, or 4. It's to be a life thing. A day-in, day-out thing that they see and witness and get to be a part of from the time they're just a wee babe in our tummies.

Look at your children and think of how you want them to be in 15 years. 

Do you want them to be lukewarm? Unable to stand up for their faith in a cynical college professor's classroom? Uncapable of dismantling the lies that come out of secular America and mainstream media? Unwilling to risk unpopularity for the LORD of all the universe? Or do you, like I, want your sons to be men of integrity, with strength of character, and a passionate commitment to Christ? For them to know Him and love Him and seek to make Him more known? Do you want your daughters to be modest, gracious, gentle, and passionate for Christ? For them to have a burning drive to multiply the glory of God in their home, city, nation, and world?

Surely in this there are areas we can all do better. I hope this is not a guilt-trip moment, but rather a spur-one-another-on- toward-love-and-good-deeds moment. Do your children the honor of treating them as fellow heirs in Christ- as children whom God has chosen and dearly loves. Talk to them as the capable-minded little ones that God created them to be (capable of grasping things that will amaze you!). Teach them diligently, as if the salvation of people at the ends of the earth depend upon your faithful words. For they very well may.

Let's dive into the spiritual deep-end together. 

Let's set some seemingly-fantastic goals for our children and decide to keep them. One of my goals is for my oldest son and I to memorize Ephesians together. It may take us more than a year, but by golly, I want to cram as much Scripture into that little sponge-like mind of his as possible. I want it to be reverberating around in his brain for the rest of his life. I want Christ to ooze out of his thoughts, his words, and his actions.

What do you want for your children and what will it take to get there? 

Set a goal, make a chart, tell a friend--do whatever you have to do to feel accountable (you KNOW what it will take to help you keep a goal)-- and diligently work toward spiritual maturity with that little heart, mind, and soul (or those hearts, minds, and souls) that God's entrusted to you!