Terri's BlogChristian perspective on today's issues.

HOW MUCH DO YOU LOVE YOUR CHILDREN?

The father had taken his son and his son’s friend for a day of fishing. Several miles out into the Gulf the chosen spot was producing quite a few fish for the boys, and dad was being kept busy putting away the catch and re-baiting the lines. No one had noticed the storm clouds fast approaching from the opposite direction. Suddenly they were caught in a heavy, slashing rain driven by strong winds. Huge swells seemed to come from every direction. The boat and its occupants were being tossed about fiercely when, without warning, a massive wave washed over the boat, carrying both boys overboard into the churning ocean. The boys were swiftly swept farther and farther away. Dad grabbed the life buoy. Realizing he probably had time to rescue only one of them, he threw the life buoy to his son’s friend and hauled him aboard. By this time, they couldn’t see his son anywhere; he had disappeared beneath the stormy surface.
When asked later how he could make such a devastating decision of which boy to save, the dad said his son was a Christian, and the other boy was not. He knew he would see his son again someday.
Probably most of us have heard this story before, and yet still find the dad’s decision an amazing act of love and sacrifice. It begs the question: do you know for certain you will see your children again in heaven? Have you ever discussed salvation with them? It’s been said, and I agree, that witnessing to your own family is much more difficult than witnessing to a stranger. Allow me to repeat that last question: have you spoken to your children about God’s gift of saving grace? How much do you love them?
In a recent sermon my Pastor said, “As parents WE are responsible for knowing about our kid’s salvation. Don’t you dare leave that question unanswered! And it isn’t up to the pastor, the Sunday School teacher, the youth minister, or anyone else. As Christian parents it is OUR responsibility to know, and we must OWN it.”
He’s absolutely right: we don’t leave it to others to raise our children properly. And we certainly don’t want them taught by the media, or the extremists of our society. It’s also our obligation to teach our kids and teenagers what’s BIBLICALLY correct:  to love everyone (but hate the sin), honesty, truthfulness, respect for others, compassion, forgiveness, trust in and obedience to God. (That last one will put the others in place.) We are to be living examples for our children, raising them to be people we would be proud of, and being parents they are proud of.
Simply taking them to church isn’t enough. As my former pastor used to say: “going to church won’t make you a Christian anymore that standing in your garage will make you a car.” Our children’s salvation is THE most important thing that we should know that THEY know.
I would guess that more than a thousand books have been written about parenting, but the Bible, God’s Word, is without a doubt the best of the bunch. How is it about parenting you may ask? Because in it God, our Father, teaches us all we need to know about how to be the best we can be; that He will always love us, always forgive us when asked, guide us daily, hear our prayers, protect us, and provide for us. What more could we ask of a Father? We are His children, loved beyond our understanding.
And Romans 8:38 assures us “…nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Jesus Christ our Lord.”
How much do we love our children?  Can it really be measured? I propose that it can be, by making sure they know Christ as Savior. What could we do for them that would surpass that? Think of the joy and peace you would have from knowing.
Then you can tell them the story of how a father could throw the life preserver to someone other than his own son.

In His service, and yours,
Mike Jared
TCM board member