R. Tyler Scott
Is Church Important? If Church isn’t important to the parents now, why should it be to the kids when they grow up?
“My parents made me go to church when I was a kid and I hated it, so I am not going to make my kids go. If they want to go, that’s great, but I’m not going to make them.”
This is verbatim what I have heard from countless people of my generation. We are so focused on our children being happy, we aren’t concerned about their spiritual well being. We will happily go and spend hundreds of dollars a week on sports activities like travel ball and select teams because they might get a scholarship or become the next Derrick Jeter or Hope Solo. We as parents allow our entire lives to be governed by what makes our children happy instead of what prepares our children for eternity. Please don’t get me wrong, I am not against sports. If any of you know me, you know that I love baseball and Ole Miss football as much or more than anyone. However, when my children were growing up, they knew that sports and activities were important, but they weren’t as important as Church and serving the Lord.
This is for everyone, but most especially for those who are Christians. If serving God is optional, but activity practice is not, then you have your priorities completely out of whack. If you think Church isn’t necessary, because you are just too tired on Sundays and you have to go to work the next day, then you have one of two problems. Either you are not truly saved, or you have gotten so far from God that you don’t realize that you have walked away from him. Oh we will be the first ones to go on facebook and cry and beg for prayer when something tragic happens or when we get bad news from the doctor. But isn’t it a little hypocritical to run to God when things are bad and not go to his house when you have the opportunity? Wouldn’t it be an awful feeling to know that you were saved, but you didn’t lead your children to Christ or take them to church and they missed out on heaven? Of all the great fears a parent should have, the idea that their Children might miss out on the greatness of God both here and in heaven should be number one on the list and we should do everything in our power to prevent this from happening.
We are setting up our children to FAIL! If you don’t believe me, just look at the Sunday School numbers at your local church. Just look at the programs for kids that have gone by the wayside because of a lack of participation. Just look at the number of Church’s that have closed down or are on life support. It’s not because there aren’t enough people, it’s because there aren’t enough Christians who Care about Jesus for their family.
An evangelist said that we as American’s are one generation away from being a heathen nation. I don’t know that we aren’t in that generation as we speak. Look at the lack of concern for Jesus. Look at the people who worship at the altar of the Dallas Cowboys or any other team on Sundays but don’t have time to worship the one true God who holds our very breath in his hands. Look at the number of children who have no idea about basic truths of the Bible that used to be standard fare and known even in the homes of lost people. We have gone a long way toward heathen status. But there is one true hope that is never changing. We can still repent. It’s not to late for Daddy’s to pray every morning before they go to work. It’s not to late for mothers to read bible stories to their children instead of Dr. Seuss. It’s not to late for Daddy’s to get everyone up Sunday morning and say we are going to Church and then lead them in the way that they should go. It’s not to late for families to listen to some Christian music in the car. No matter how far you go down the wrong road, the first step to a better situation is to stop and turn around. You will be surprised that Jesus is right there behind you waiting for you to turn to him.
Our world is in a terrible place with lots of scary things going on. If we are going to make it through, the first thing we have to do is prepare our families for the future. I’m not talking about an earthly future, I’m talking about a heavenly future. Because like it or not, there is an eternal future coming, it’s just a matter of where you spend it.
