Christian Parents,
This is going to be one of those not so easy to write, and probably harder to read posts. That's why I'm going to let someone else explain it. So hopefully then you will be mad at them and not at me.
But first, let me express why I believe the ending article is so significant for every Christian parent to read by being very transparent in my own personal Christian upbringing. To do this, I am going to simply compare myself to my brother who is 1 year older than I am. Since I know that either he or my parents may actually read this blog, please understand that this comparison is difficult to publically say. But I fear that I see so many Christian parents making the mistakes that are outlined in the following article, that I feel the need to illustrate it by using the reality that has been my experience.
A quick side note. My brother has been a beautiful illustration of Proverbs 22:6, "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." He is happily married, involved in church, and living out the Christian life in a way that any parent (or pastor/brother) would be extremely proud.
My brother and I grew up in a very committed and somewhat demanding Christian home. My father was a deacon, my mother was the leader of the Women's Mission Union, and both were the greatest Christians I've ever known. So it is quite interesting that my experience in high school was so very different from my brother's. The primary difference was simply our priorities. My brother was a 4-year starter for the Ryle Raider football team, and 2-year captain of the team. He was for all intensive purposes, the athletic superstar of the school. It is challenging for a teenager not to get caught up in this environment. And it didn't take long that I witnessed my brother abandoning the Christian principles that our family valued so highly. 3-a-day football practices, and an all consuming football and social schedule caused my brother to neglect his church, church friendships and more importantly, his relationship with Christ. Football, popularity, and partying became his priorities. On the other hand, instead of trying to live in his shadow (which I was hardly athletic enough to do), I went the opposite direction. I decided that I wanted to be identified by my faith. My closest friends were my church friends, my Youth Pastor, and my Young Life Leader. While my brother was at football practice every day, I had a Bible Study or other Christian activity every single night of the week from Sunday-Thursday night. I poured myself into my faith, Scripture, memorizing the Bible, etc.
In our teenage years, I wasn't as popular as my brother. I didn't have "Letters" on my Ryle jacket. But 12 years later, all my brother has to show for the time invested in football and popularity is little more than a few lingering injuries that will become more and more problematic later in life. However, the time I was able to spend growing my faith was eternally invaluable. Not only does it allow me to be a better Student Pastor today, but it has allowed me get a 10 year head-start of storing up Treasures in Heaven. All that to say this...parents, it is ultimately our responsibility to ensure that our teenagers see church, Pulse, and their faith in general as a higher priority than volleyball, soccer, football, baseball, cheerleading, NHS, NJHS, etc. Because when we begin thinking eternally, sports, scholarships, and everything else will be completely irrelevant in 200 years, not to mention 2 million. So as a parent, what is your primary priority for your child? And does the way you allow their time to be scheduled really reflect that? If I'm having to compete with your child for their time and priorities...I will lose every time. And 10 years from now, they will be just beginning to discover the life that you allowed them to miss now.
Please read this article. It's hard to read, mostly because it's entirely true. That's what makes it so important.
http://scottlinscott.com/2010/03/10/your-kids-an-all-star-wow-someday-hell-be-average-like-the-rest-of-us/
To God be the Glory,
BJ
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