Part l: We All Want Kids Like The Boy Jesus.
How Far Would You Go To Help Your Children Meet Jesus Personally And Grow To Be Servants Of God?
Proverbs 22:6, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”
Let’s face it. As Christian parents we all want children who are like Jesus in his youth. But what does it take for parents to make an atmosphere in their home where God can work to call a child to this level of sincerity and devotion?
We will see what the Bible teaches. Then we will see some examples from famous parents in Christian history, like William Penn, Susanna Wesly, and Ruth Graham. We will then think of some issues that hinder us from providing such an environment for raising our kids, an environment through which God can work.
Part l: We All Want Kids Like The Boy Jesus.
Luke 2:41-51, “Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. 43 After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” 49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them. 51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”
During the days of his youth, Jesus went to all the religious festivals held in Jerusalem. He fully participated in the Jewish religious life. He was a young man who liked to talk about spiritual things.
He was so into talking about spiritual things that he forgot that his own family had left to go home from the festival. He was engaging the religious leaders in such deep and profound conversation that they were truly amazed.
His parents were astonished. He grew up spiritual and obedient and he grew in favor with God and man. We all want Christian kids like this. Sometimes we expect God to just make our kids like this with little of no effort on our part.
But what does it take for parents to make an atmosphere in their home where God can work to call a child to this level of sincerity and devotion?
We will examine this in Part 2, What The Bible Teaches.
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