1 Timothy 4:16 "Be conscientious about how you live and what you teach. Persevere in this, because by doing so you will save both yourself and those who listen to you."
Save them from what? This greek word is used in the NT 106 times in 99 verses and simply means to rescue someone from danger. There is danger from evil paths and people, danger from any physical harm or disease and danger from hurting their spiritual relationship with God. You help rescue others, including your children. There are consequences to our thoughts and actions. Galatians 6:10 "Do not be deceived. God will not be made a fool. For a person will reap what he sows,"
Timothy was a young man and became the pastor of a predominate church in which Paul started. He had been mentored by Paul and Paul writes to Timothy a "blog" letter in how to be successful in this ministry role. Not only does these passages help make great leaders in the church, but they are great commands to follow as leaders in our home.
Paul told Timothy that it did not matter his age and it couldn't depend on his position. He was only going to be able to lead people into the transforming power of God by intentionally talking about it and intentionally living it out in his own life.
George Barna in his book, "Revolutionary Parenting," notes a few key principles when it comes to raising spiritual champions for Christ. He said that children “must see you investing in your own spiritual growth before they will accept the importance of their personal commitment to becoming a genuine disciple of Jesus Christ” (18). Although there are exceptions, the overwhelming evidence supports this notion. Think of the population who dislike Christ because there are so many hyprocrites.
Parenting and Pastoring thoughts of "Just do what I say" or "Because I said so" just doesn't work. “Expecting them to do what you say simply because you are their parents doesn’t work for long” (19). Children are smart. They notice when we're not consistent, when we mess up, when we respond out of selfishness, anger, out-of-control, unrepentence and just plain stupidity. Isn't it hard to listen to someone about marriage when they've been divorced three times and their children disrespect them?
Paul also let Timothy in on a little secret. It was going to be hard work! “Great parents recognize that from the moment a child leaves a womb until the time he or she leaves the home, they must tirelessly guard and shape the mind, heart, and soul of their child” (39). We must persevere, be strong in those tough times, don't give up, don't question whether it's the best thing to fight for, persevere in our walk with God with all of our heart, mind, and strength. Work hard at your own spiritual life and attitude and actions towards God and others around you. It's worth it, for your sake and those around you.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
What to talk about?
Luke 4:43 "but he [Jesus] said, 'I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent."
Mark 1:38 "Jesus replied, 'Let us go somewhere else- to the nearby villages-so that I can preach there also. That is why I have come.'"
There's something striking about how humanity can take something that is great and use it for their own advantage, often times at the cost of destroying the real use it was designed for. It makes me somewhat sick to my head to hear the constant teachings and talk about healings/miracles and prosperity theology and promote Jesus like a debit card on life rather than the Savior of our sins. Things like this turn out great numbers around the world. Ministries are supported and Jesus' name is heard by thousands all in the name of self promotion or personal bettermeant? I can see why Jesus was frustrated that the people who followed him did so to receive the physical bread and have their diseases healed. People were always looking for and asking for signs just like they do even today.
Church leaders and I myself included sometimes can rack our brains trying to come up with ways that we can make our environments attractive and exciting and relevant. And I honestly don't think that is entirely foolish, there's a whole nother blog. Yet we must never forget that the one focus, the main reason, the Big Idea is still to be what Peter said in Acts 10:42 "He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that every one who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."
Mark 1:38 "Jesus replied, 'Let us go somewhere else- to the nearby villages-so that I can preach there also. That is why I have come.'"
There's something striking about how humanity can take something that is great and use it for their own advantage, often times at the cost of destroying the real use it was designed for. It makes me somewhat sick to my head to hear the constant teachings and talk about healings/miracles and prosperity theology and promote Jesus like a debit card on life rather than the Savior of our sins. Things like this turn out great numbers around the world. Ministries are supported and Jesus' name is heard by thousands all in the name of self promotion or personal bettermeant? I can see why Jesus was frustrated that the people who followed him did so to receive the physical bread and have their diseases healed. People were always looking for and asking for signs just like they do even today.
Church leaders and I myself included sometimes can rack our brains trying to come up with ways that we can make our environments attractive and exciting and relevant. And I honestly don't think that is entirely foolish, there's a whole nother blog. Yet we must never forget that the one focus, the main reason, the Big Idea is still to be what Peter said in Acts 10:42 "He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that every one who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."
Friday, February 22, 2008
Proverbs 22:6 "Train a child in the way that he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."
This is one of those very common verses about parenting and I only start with this because it is Feb. 22 and I'm reading the "proverb" of the day kind of thing.
The word "train" is also translated in other places to mean a dedication or consecration and is used to describe those who are experienced.
There is another understanding of the word "train" and that is to motivate or initiate. The word is used in Arabic to describe how a parent would rub juice or oil on the baby's palate to motivate him/her to suck, getting them to eat that which would help them grow healthy. However, the suggestion is made that this Arabic understanding is a latter connotation almost a 1000 years after this proverbs was originally written and therefore was not the original intent of meaning.
Either case, it's pretty obvious that the word calls parents to be intentional in starting the influence. Influence that centers "according to the mouth of his way (literal translation)." The way describes the paths of righteousness, wisdom, understanding, discipline, etc. versus the paths of wickedness, fools, driven by uncontrolling human desires all of which the writer has been stressing since chapter 1. (There has been other debate on what "according to the mouth of his way/path/bent?" means but to suggest the parent trains the child according to the child's way would suggest that the child know the best way he should already go?)
But there is certainly much to say about training and making the child experienced in their words, (keeping in line with the transliteration). Just as James says in 3:2-3 "For we all stumble in many ways. If someone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect individual, able to control the entire body as well. 3 And if we put bits into the mouths of horses to get them to obey us, then we guide their entire bodies."
And since children are always watching us and learning our ways, we must be intentional about what comes out of our mouth. A lesson that I am forever learning.
In the end I believe the verse means this: that we must devote/dedicate our children at a very early age to become experienced in the way he/she should go and we must be intentional about what that is. As I like to say it around here, we must provide intentional Christian nurture for our youth to grow in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
This is one of those very common verses about parenting and I only start with this because it is Feb. 22 and I'm reading the "proverb" of the day kind of thing.
The word "train" is also translated in other places to mean a dedication or consecration and is used to describe those who are experienced.
There is another understanding of the word "train" and that is to motivate or initiate. The word is used in Arabic to describe how a parent would rub juice or oil on the baby's palate to motivate him/her to suck, getting them to eat that which would help them grow healthy. However, the suggestion is made that this Arabic understanding is a latter connotation almost a 1000 years after this proverbs was originally written and therefore was not the original intent of meaning.
Either case, it's pretty obvious that the word calls parents to be intentional in starting the influence. Influence that centers "according to the mouth of his way (literal translation)." The way describes the paths of righteousness, wisdom, understanding, discipline, etc. versus the paths of wickedness, fools, driven by uncontrolling human desires all of which the writer has been stressing since chapter 1. (There has been other debate on what "according to the mouth of his way/path/bent?" means but to suggest the parent trains the child according to the child's way would suggest that the child know the best way he should already go?)
But there is certainly much to say about training and making the child experienced in their words, (keeping in line with the transliteration). Just as James says in 3:2-3 "For we all stumble in many ways. If someone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect individual, able to control the entire body as well. 3 And if we put bits into the mouths of horses to get them to obey us, then we guide their entire bodies."
And since children are always watching us and learning our ways, we must be intentional about what comes out of our mouth. A lesson that I am forever learning.
In the end I believe the verse means this: that we must devote/dedicate our children at a very early age to become experienced in the way he/she should go and we must be intentional about what that is. As I like to say it around here, we must provide intentional Christian nurture for our youth to grow in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
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