Remember the story in Daniel about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego?
They weren’t parents, they were children … of God …and they knew that doing the
right thing was not always the popular decision. In fact, their resolve to do
the right thing landed them in a really hot spot, but without their act of
obedience to worship God alone, they would never have seen, up close and personal,
just how magnificent God’s power is.
There are many things that we are responsible to teach our
children. There are so many things we want them to know. We teach them with
words; with consequences; with lectures; with rewards. And even so, they still
will, in the end, choose the way they desire to go and the lessons they
determine are worth living by. In the story of the Hebrew children (probably
teen-aged boys) we can learn a very valuable insight that will have a profound
impact on how much of your guidance will be kept and how much will be tossed.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego took a huge risk by keeping
God at the center of their worship. They knew it could cost them their lives.
We don’t have a king demanding that we bow down and worship him at the blast of
a horn with the consequence of being toasted if we don’t comply. So we have it
pretty easy. Or, do we? Perhaps the fact
that there is no visible risk in pushing God to the back seat and putting
someone or something else behind the wheel that drives our lives makes it even
more difficult to keep Him in the #1 slot. Being 100% sold out to God, gave
them the most dramatic exposure to the faithfulness and power of the God they
chose to serve… no matter what.
Do you take a bold stand for Jesus in your home? In your
language? In your attitude toward others? Do you honor Him with the way your
treat your kids and your spouse? Do you
honor Him in the way you spend your time? Do you worship Him with joy that is
overflowing? Does the mention of your Creator enter into your daily
conversations at home? Do you spend time in the Word daily getting to know the
heart of God better? Do you slow down the hustle and bustle of life so that you
can meditate and hear from Him?
Or…
Is God just the Sunday God who you worship once a week, when
it’s convenient? Is He the main event at Easter and Christmas, remaining illusive
from your kids the rest of the year? Do they wonder why you lose your cool and
say naughty things rather than seeking to obey God with your attitude? Do they
think prayer is just words to say before bed and before meals? And Bibles are
for dusting off and taking to Church… if you can find it?
God has a plan and a purpose for you and for your kids.
Following God’s plan means we might have to go against what feels safe or
“normal,” but it can be exactly what needs to happen in order for them to see
how exciting it is to trust God through the trials. You have an important role to
play in making a better world for your kids. Be brave and go for it! Often, that
simple act of courage is the tipping point for something extraordinary to
happen in their life and in yours.
May I encourage you to make God the number one priority in
your home? To worship God alone and say no to anything that may try to push God
to the side? To demonstrate to your children that God’s power and might will
protect and keep them as His very own? To teach them that God is strong and
faithful and will always have His all-seeing eyes on their lives?
It isn’t easy to take a stand against those things… or
people… who drag you down a path that leads you away from honoring God with
your whole life, but with all my heart I encourage you to do just that. But, as Pastor Chris said in the sermon Sunday (listen here: https://thecreekonline.net/media),
A faith that
is tested is a faith that can be trusted.
If you want your kids to be able to stand up to the
temptations that surround them, take a stand! Do the hard things! Be real in
your faith journey! Grow with every risk you take to stand against what takes
you away from the One who loves you most. Sometimes, just like Shadrach,
Meshach and Abednego, you have to be in the fire to see God beside you and
witness the power that will sustain you through whatever the broken world
throws your way. Seeing God that close beside them as they learn to take a stand will make the most profound impact and can certainly hold the power to change the trajectory of their lives.
Be
courageous.
Worship
God alone.
Parent
well.
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