Tag...you're it!
My kids are it!
One of the things I want to make sure I do well in my life is to pass on to my children a real life of faith in Jesus Christ. I want to run with my kids and spiritually say 'Tag! You're it!'. When I think about what this looks like, specifically, this is what I am thinking: I want to see my kids, Noah, Toby, and Shiloh live with a vibrant faith in Jesus Christ. I want them to be people who are in love with Jesus—and then live their lives His way because of their love for Him. I want for them to know how deeply loved they are by their Heavenly Father, and I want for that love to be the foundation of their lives! I want them to experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit, I want them to live out the values of God's Kingdom, and I want them to discover their own place in the Church. I want for them to be fully equipped to understand and apply God's Word in their lives—and to engage in and express their own spiritual gifts so they can make a Holy Spirit-empowered contribution in this world and in the church, wherever God leads them.
Listening to their shepherd's voice
For my kids to live this way, the most vital spiritual dynamic they must experience and grow in is knowing the voice of God. Jesus says 'my sheep know my voice'. But learning to listen for and listen to His voice is not automatic. It's something they need to grow in. It is something I need to grow in - and then pass on to them.We are learning to do this in a number of ways in our home. When we face a correction issue with our kids, we have been learning to redirect their hearts through the discipline. We will ask the kids to take some time to talk to God and see what He has to say about the issue. Usually they will come back and say 'God told me I need to forgive her' or 'God told me that he loves me but that it was wrong to provoke him.
When the kids have gotten a great grade on a school assignment, we ask them to talk to God about it and see what He says. They will come back with something like 'God told me He is proud of me and He knows I did my best'. When the kids are facing a relationship issue with a kid at school, we'll suggest to them to take 10 minutes and talk to God about it. They'll spend those minutes in their room, alone—and they'll come back with something to the effect of 'God says I need to be her friend and help her'.
Sometimes they'll come back and say 'I don't know! I don't hear anything!' In those times, we'll say something like 'well, you know Jesus, you know His heart, right? What do you think he would say to you about this, if you could hear his voice cleary right now?' They will then share what they know He'd say—and we will afirm that, and say, 'right! He is speaking to you, He put that in your heart!' We as parents are charged with helping our kids determine who to place their faith in, processing life experiences that will help them understand their faith, and living in such a manner that allows them to imitate our faith…
Building faith at home, leaving a legacy…
By virtue of the fact that I am the pastor of a church, my kids spend an exorbitant amount of time around our church. They usually attend 3 and sometimes all 4 services every weekend. they tag along for other mid-week meetings and LifeGroups. And their parents are always talking about church stuff! Church is valuable and is such an important part of how they will grow as disciples, but I want much more for my kids than just church stuff. I want for them to know their Shepherd's voice personally!
How are you doing at setting your heart on hearing from God?