Building Better Adults

Is it that I'm writing this post, with blue-tooth in my ear, streaming my favorite, classic Christian rock station, which is currently playing P.O.D.'s Youth Of A Nation song. And it's #youthPastorWednesday.

Some days you think you are raising good kids; that there is hope for this coming generation and then you get home and your youngest has raided the family size container of Double Stuffed Oreo's. Seriously, kid? I didn't even get one yet!

Guess the remaining few are mine.

I'm probably one of the last people that need to be writing on good habits and self-discipline and instilling the same into this next generation (lots of c'mon Dad, get it together moments). It's more of a struggle than it should be, yet the daily reminders that our time and investment in the lives of our kids are important are ever-present... so much so that it's hard to miss unless you are living with your head looking down; which sadly many of us are, whether it be at the ground or at the phone. (Is there a difference? #asking4afriend)

Again... I'm not judging you. I sit in front of the television too while scrolling social media, then tell my kid to get off the tablet while Netflix is playing their kid's show. It's another ah-ha moment, as they even asked again a few moments ago, when is the next time that we go to church. Ministry starts at home, just as much as their education begins long before they step into the classroom. Yet the distractions of life and responsibilities of adulthood always seem to stand in the way of what's most important, both at home and at church... relationships. Long before God did, He was. And while He gave mankind tasks, He more importantly, walked with man in the Garden, daily.

Are we doing? Probably not as much as we should.
More importantly though, are we living in relationship and developing that ability in our youth? Not if we can't get them to look up and around; which won't happen if we don't model it for them. And by we, I mean me.

We should no longer wait for our churches to build faith in our kids anymore than we would blindly allow the education system to teach our kids... of which we are witnessing some of those repercussions even now in today's cultural and social battles.

So, let's pray, this #youthPastorWednesday, that God would help those pastors who are dealing with some uphill battles and struggles in the lives of youth who have not had a firm foundation of faith established at an earlier age. Pray that God would give them wisdom in those relationships as well as grace as they communicate truth into their lives. Pray that God would help us as parents, to do our part to prepare and equip our children for the world that is full of opportunity; not only for great success, but of great destruction. May God guard their hearts, minds, souls, and spirits from the enemy who would seek to bring their life to ruin through complacency and apathy towards God and people. Pray that God would raise up a generation that would seek and follow God alone and use us, despite our ongoing flaws and failures to teach them well.

For the glory of God
And His kingdom alone.
May God shed His grace on us.

- PNC