Family is a mission field. Taking care of your family and teaching your kids about Jesus is one of the most important things that us as parents can do for our kids. Although it sounds like a daunting and sometimes terrifying task, we, as Christian parents have the responsibility and privilege of teaching our children about Christ. HUGE RESPONSIBILITY. But such a wonderful responsibility.
I've learned in the past 6ish months of being a mom that being a mom is very much like being involved in full time ministry. For the past two summers my husband and I have been involved in camp ministry, and the more I compare the two, being a parent and working at camp- they are oh so similar! The reason we do camp is to share the Gospel; to tell each and every kid that comes about Jesus and the amazing gift of Salvation that he has to offer. We do camp to show these kids that we love them, to give them a fun environment to learn and grow and get to know friends. Doesn't that sound kind of similar to being a mom or dad? The only difference is that with camp we get one week, ONE WEEK to tell these kids about Jesus and to love them properly. But as a parent, we have our children's entire lives to teach them, to love them, to bring them up in a home that honors and glorifies God. Our families are a mission field, just as much as working at camp is a mission field. And, in my opinion, missions starts at home. It's starts in our homes, with our spouses, and with our children. If we do missions at home well, won't we do world missions ten times better? I know there are many missionaries from years past that thought very differently than what i'm sharing with you now. At all cost you do what God is calling you to do, and although to a certain degree I agree, I do believe as well that family is a God given gift and that God calls us to teach our kids to obey and trust him. If we aren't missional with our families, how can we expect to be missional anywhere else?
"It's exciting to recognize that we have an amazing mission field right in our own family. May we not allow the cares of this life to distract us from the tremendous opportunity God has given us to lead our little ones to him." - Leslie Ludy
"For if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?" 1 Timothy 3:5
Being mission minded when it comes to parenting starts with the Gospel. It starts with us as parents being transformed by the power and the truth of the Gospel, and living in light of it daily. It then is transfered in us teaching our kids about the Gospel. And when I say Gospel, I mean the whole thing. Not bits and pieces, but the whole entire thing.
"If children never recognize the seriousness of sin and the horrible destiny that awaits those who do not know Jesus Christ, their hearts will not be prepared to understand the "good news" of the Gospel. So, it's important not to sugar coat the truth. Kids NEED to be disturbed over their sin. They NEED to recognize their helplessness to be clean and justified before God. And, they need to understand the misery of Hell. Before they can grasp the good news, they must fully comprehend the bad news." -Leslie Ludy
I know that sounds harsh, but I believe its so true. I fully believe we are doing a disservice to our children by sugar coating the Gospel and leaving things out; leaving truth out. Now, I'm not saying that we look our kids in the eyes before they go to sleep and tell them they are going to hell. I'm not preaching that we scare our kids into believing in Jesus. BUT, I do think we need to teach them the whole truth, and well, hell and eternal separation from God is truth and a very big part of the Gospel. What a responsibility! And that teaching starts now, when Canaan is 6 months old, in fact it started the day he was born. We take him to church, we read him the bible, we sing him worship songs, we live by example (that one is HARD). Living by example I think is the most important and hardest part of this whole thing. I'm not saying we leave words out, they're important and crucial to the preaching of the Gospel. But, as a parent what we say and what we do has to line up. Ouch, that kind of hurts! I fail. Daily. No, hourly. And I know the more we do this parenting thing the harder the leading by example thing is going to be- but, thank goodness for grace and forgiveness. In my sin and my mistakes, God gives grace, and God forgives. So even in my failures, we can teach! Thank-you Jesus.
"But, He gives more Grace." James 4:6
"Example is better than precept. Let parents be what they want their children to be." -Andrew Murray
The last thing i'll say so I can wrap up this novel, (sorry I got passionate) is doing this parenthood thing together as a team. When I was thinking about writing this blog it was going to be titled: Motherhood: A high calling. Which, it is. But, I can't do this motherhood thing without my husband. We are both a huge part of this parenthood team. We were created to do this together, we need each other. I bring completely different things to the table than my husband does, and vice versa for him. We're a team, and together we will do this mission called family.
"We must never forget that the only way for a child to experience true joy and lasting fulfillment is through a right relationship with Jesus." -Leslie Ludy
(You may have noticed i've quoted a lot of quotes from Leslie Ludy. They all come from her devotional like website: Set Apart Motherhood, Check it out!)
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