Tuesday, November 22, 2005
More Blessed
"You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” -Paul Acts 20:34-35 (ESV)
The net result of Christian conversion is the aquistion of a whole new economy. Giving makes you rich. Offering worship and offering love to our neighbor will in the end make us rich.
Certainly this new economy can only be preserved by the presence of God's Spirit, but our kids can experiencing the blessing of this new economy if only in just a temporary taste. This article is an example of kids who have tasted this new economy.
One of our jobs as parents is to introduce our kids to God's economy and to develop an appreciation for it. There are at least two benefits. The first is an appreciation for the life of God. It is a life of beauty and purpose that kids can appreciate. Second, over time, our children will develop a sense of futility in pursuing the life of God on their own. This life, clearly heralded, will shine light on the brokeness of their own souls. They will see their sin and it will beckon them to the Gospel.
Few things could be more significant than to steward the life of a child so that they really believe there is nothing better than following God and they need grace to do it.
All this presumes that we find supreme joy in worship and service. Remember it must first be real in our own lives - kids will not tolerate hypocrisy, even though adults often do.
The net result of Christian conversion is the aquistion of a whole new economy. Giving makes you rich. Offering worship and offering love to our neighbor will in the end make us rich.
Certainly this new economy can only be preserved by the presence of God's Spirit, but our kids can experiencing the blessing of this new economy if only in just a temporary taste. This article is an example of kids who have tasted this new economy.
One of our jobs as parents is to introduce our kids to God's economy and to develop an appreciation for it. There are at least two benefits. The first is an appreciation for the life of God. It is a life of beauty and purpose that kids can appreciate. Second, over time, our children will develop a sense of futility in pursuing the life of God on their own. This life, clearly heralded, will shine light on the brokeness of their own souls. They will see their sin and it will beckon them to the Gospel.
Few things could be more significant than to steward the life of a child so that they really believe there is nothing better than following God and they need grace to do it.
All this presumes that we find supreme joy in worship and service. Remember it must first be real in our own lives - kids will not tolerate hypocrisy, even though adults often do.
Mitch Majeski 1:53 PM