For Thought and Meditation - Friday, May 07

[Pine Baron]

Good morning all. Never stop praying. Have a safe and blessed day.

Friday, May 7, 2021 - Pastor Greg Laurie
When Kids Go Astray

“Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.”
—Romans 12:12

I came from a crazy, broken home, but when I became a Christian, my life changed. In my early days as a Christian, I would meet some kids who were rebelling against God. They told me how they came from homes where there was hypocrisy.

So I told them they had no idea what a bad home looked like. Why would they not walk with God?

Of course, I later began to realize what hypocrisy does. In some ways, it’s almost better to come from a home of complete unbelief than from a home where parents say they’re Christians but don’t live it.

That’s because when you’re raised in the kind of home that I was, which was godless, you know that it isn’t good. I knew that I didn’t want that. I knew there had to be something better. At the very least, I knew it wasn’t an example to follow.

On the other hand, if a mom and dad say they’re Christians and contradict it. If they’re fighting, screaming, getting drunk, or even breaking up, it’s the worst thing they can do to their kids. They’ve given their children an excuse for their unbelief.

Live a godly life. Show your kids what love looks like. Show them what a good marriage looks like.

Sometimes, however, children still go astray, and we feel like we have failed somehow. My own sons both strayed from their faith for a time. But we never gave up on them. And both of them came back to Christ.

Maybe you haven’t talked to your children for a while. They don’t want your faith, and they don’t want your life. It’s hard, but don’t give up. And know this: Your children can escape your presence, but they can never escape your prayers. So keep praying for them.

[Wayne Smith]

Amen. We had the advantage of truly godly homes (me more than LOML) and did proceed to provide that for our boys. Both of their wives came from godly homes as well. I thank God for the ability to do so and His provision for our daughters in law. Now our grandchildren are living in similar homes.

[dverna]

Many godless homes raise good children and being in a "Christian" home does not pave the way to a good life.

In a way, all of us are "broken" in some way. Some more than others. God knows we are "broken" and for many will be the Father they never had. Yet, He is the Father of all of us, and loves us all equally.

[USMC87]

Amen, A broken home is a breeding ground for Gods witness and turns into a new life with new desires.

[dverna]

Wanted to add:

Last fall, I attended a Bible Study that was structured around the book by John Eldredge, Fathered by God. There were seven of us in the group. I was the only one not to have been raised in Christian home, and I was the only one who believed my father had done a good job being a father. After about 6 sessions I stopped attending. Many had struggled with addictions and a wild/rebellious life. It bothered me that they that blamed their dads. Every session we would be encouraged to find examples how our fathers had failed us....with the underlying message God will never fail us.

At one point I became very frustrated. We were being encouraged to denigrate our fathers because they were not perfect...well SURPRISE SURPRISE!! What kind of newsflash it that?

I was thankful I had been raised in a good home by a godless father. I understand how children get all screwed up when they see the day to day hypocrisy that exists in too many "Christian" homes. Prime example...Pelosi, Biden et al professing to be Catholics and supporting abortion.

[Ickisrulz]

When kids who are raised in a Christian home reach adult age, many discover freedom!

Many dedicated Christian parents tend to restrict their children from anything secular, whether it actually is inherently evil or not. Then there are parents that insist that their kids are in the pew whenever the church doors are open (sometimes 3-4x each week). If one of the parents is involved in some kind of "ministry" even more time will be spent at the church or the parent will be away from the family. I could go on.

When a child reaches adulthood they begin making their own choices and that will be toward personal freedom. This doesn't mean they aren't "serving the Lord" or have "lost their faith."