Part Two: Solution #1: The Biblical Worldview
So, if you hung in for day one and didn’t lose too much sleep over the assessment of your situation, or even if you did, this should help to put some “how” into the equation! Let’s press on!
Please don’t get overwhelmed by the terminology here or the fact that it seems like this would be directed to a particular stereotypical Christian parent, whatever that looks like. The truth is, as believers we all desire to have our children love the Lord with all of their heart, soul, mind and strength from an early age. We desire to have them stand strong in the Lord and in the power of His might through the tumultuous teen years and emerge into adulthood as close to saints as possible. We desire to see them be further along in their knowledge of the Lord and living lives that surpass wherever we were spiritually at that point but we are failing and there is research to back it up! The Barna Group recently conducted a survey and found that kids in their late teens and on into their twenties are leaving the church in droves! We aren’t talking about 30 or 40 percent, we are talking about 70 and 80 percent. How frightening to think that our children would walk away from the Lord and His great glories at the very time they are moving out from under our wings and watchful eye! This would seem to suggest that they are simply adopting our belief system instead of owning it for themselves.
So, why the trend? The two things that are directly related are first, an inauthentic faith from parents and a flimsy biblical worldview in children. The first is pretty simple. You’ve heard the saying, “Children learn more from what they see than what they hear?” Our children are the single closest spectators of our lives. From infancy through childhood on into young adulthood our children are acutely aware of how well we are living what we are teaching them. If we fail to find the Lord important in our own lives, why should they? One of the single greatest gifts my Dad, as a pastor, ever gave to me was a life that consistently modeled what he proclaimed from the pulpit. His authenticity continues to draw people to question what it is that makes him a man of integrity, character and able to do the hard thing.
One of the many things he instilled in us from an early age was that Sunday was the Lord’s Day. On that day, we would be in church, there would be no work or extracurricular activities and we would rest as a family. I knew from a young age that when Sunday came around there would be no compromise. Worship was a priority. As we got older and sports, jobs and friends came into the picture, he lovingly but sternly made sure that we knew there was to be nothing that interfered with being in the Lord’s house, among His people. I knew where the Lord stood in my Dad’s life. I didn’t have to ask him, I knew because I saw it! Our lives will be a consistent display of our priorities and no matter what we say our kids will know what matters most whether it is work, money, sports, vacation or any other idol. A heart that is for the Lord will result in behavior that is for the Lord…isn’t that the very thing we want for our children? Heart modification…you can’t pass on something you don’t have!
The second piece of the puzzle that is lacking is a biblical worldview. Simply put, this is seeing ALL of life through the lens of scripture. Mostly we compartmentalize God. We teach our children to do the same. God is for Sundays, prayer before meals and Christmas time (after Santa of course). God is good for times when you have a problem or when you are trying to get a promotion, make the team or pass the test. God is for me, my needs, wants, desires and my satisfaction. God is not for Friday nights, trips to Vegas, the music I listen to, the movies I watch, the people I date, my career path in college, my language, my clothes or my thoughts. Basically, God is for when it benefits me. Is anyone tracking with me here? Since life is about ME then God must be about ME. Therefore, I can bring Him out when it benefits ME.
This is what we call cat vs. dog theology. A cat says, “My owner feeds me, cares for me and cleans up after me therefore, I must be God.” A dog says, “My owner feeds me, cares for me and cleans up after me therefore, He must be God.” Hence the difference between most cats and dogs. When a cat owner comes home most cats really could care less. When the dog owner comes home most dogs are waiting at the door for their arrival. There are way too many of us who have listened to the culture and have adopted a “feline” theology instead of a “canine” theology.
So how do we overcome this very real issue and ensure that our kids have the strong foundation of a biblical worldview? We bring God and His word into our homes and into every aspect of our lives. It says in Deuteronomy 6:7-9 in regards to the words of God, “You shall teach them diligently to your children, 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. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Can you think of anything that isn’t covered in this passage? You teach them diligently when you sit, walk, lie down and rise up. Then, if you forget when you look at your hand, in the mirror, come to your front door or pull in the driveway they will be there. So, I think it is safe to say that there isn’t a time or situation when the Lord should not be on our lips.
Let’s give a few examples: When we take our children to the beach we can expound on the great expanse of the ocean and talk about how God told Job that He “commanded the waves to stop here and go no further.” When we talk about issues between friends at school we can take our children to the Word for instruction. When we experience hardship we can begin to teach them about faith and learning to trust God even when we don’t understand why things happen because ultimately, He is good.
This is the process of instilling a biblical worldview. We must be diligent to teach our children the truth that there is no aspect of our lives great or small that the Lord is not intimately acquainted with, using for His glory and orchestrating for His our eternal good. I cannot think of a firmer foundation for a young man or woman leaving home for the first time to stand upon when facing a sinful world. However, as neatly packaged as this seems, it will be difficult especially if your children are older and this is something new. Keep in mind that Satan does not want you to be successful in this and he will work to thwart you at every turn! Scripture encourages us to “not give up in doing good.” Persevere in prayer and be consistent. About the only thing I have learned in the few short years I have been a parent is that consistency makes up for a lot of other faults!
As we close today ask yourself if you have the foundation of a biblical worldview yourself. Are you passing that along to your children? If not, what adjustments can be made to change this in your life and the lives of your children?
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