Articles
Train Up a Child
Many choices we make impact us individually, but few choices stop there. It is safe to say that most decisions we make have a great impact on those around us, whether we know it or not. Of those impacted by our choices, no one feels those effects greater than our families. Children are incredible. They are like sponges in that they absorb everything and have a way of showing it back to us. The degree to which we live as Christ and teach our children will be made evident as time goes on. What a sobering thought! That thought is one that is constantly on my mind. What will my son be like? What will I influence him to be and to do?
There is a sad reality in this world: not every child who starts out in church stays in church. Many young people are falling away from the faith and leaving the Lord and his church as they grow older. There are a number of factors that contribute to this, but I believe it comes back to the parents’ responsibility to teach, encourage, and prepare their children to be a stand-alone Christian.
But why do children fall away? A Barna Group study shows that one reason is that children feel as though they are unable to express doubt safely. Our families as well as the church need to be a safe haven for young people to ask questions and express doubts and concerns. This is yet another reason why we must provide them with the word of God, rather than the entertainment and food that so many churches provide, failing to strengthen faith.
Another reason children fall away is the influence of worldly skepticism. Look at the numbers and it makes perfect sense: children spend approximately 30 hours/week at school where they are exposed to ideas that are directly opposed to Bible truth; they come home and spend another 30 or so hours absorbing television, playing video games, or connecting on social media. The main way we combat that? About 45 minutes in Bible class, twice a week, with two sermons to supplement. We must fight for the time of our children. We must teach them Bible truth, as well as how to intelligently examine the views of those who oppose the faith.
Ultimately, each individual will be responsible for his own soul, but I believe parents will be held to a higher judgment for the way they raised their children. How do we combat these seemingly unbeatable opponents? One key factor in keeping our children is the faith of the parents. The Bible teaches, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6). Studies show that when both parents were faithful and active in the church, 93% of their children remained faithful. With only one faithful parent, that number dropped to 73%. Where neither parent was very active in the church, that number was a 53%. When neither parent was active in the church and rarely attended church, the chance that their children would remain faithful was a heartbreaking 6%.
Parents are responsible for training their children in God’s word (cf. Deut. 6:6-9). Teens should be able to leave home without falling from the faith. In order to do that, we as parents must train them how to respond to those outside, the skeptics, and the unbelieving. So, Mom and Dad, are you choosing to teach your children the Bible truth, or are you failing in that? The numbers speak for themselves.
