The Great Benefit of Raising Children in the Church
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Have you ever seen someone who is grounded and confident, yet at the same time humble and full of hope and joy? Everything in their life may not be perfect, but there is something inside of that person that is steady and unwilling to move at every whim. Have you ever thought, how did one become such a person? We look at people like this and wonder, was it their parents? Were they born with those qualities?
"God's word is full of promises and hope for our children."As a young mother, I read book after book, hoping to give my children these qualities. I knew these qualities were essential for my children to have, but I did not know how to attain them. On my own, I failed. My children suffered because of my miserable efforts to teach them things I did not know myself. It was not until I came to United Faith Church, that I encountered many people full of these qualities. These qualities—humble, joyful, confident—were strong in older adults, as well as young adults. It was here that I learned I only needed one book, the Bible. I also learned it wasn’t enough to tell my kids to do what the Bible said, but that I, myself, had to be willing to do what it said as well. My husband and I learned that we are called to demonstrate an obedience to the Lord in our lives every day. This is what Proverbs 22:6 speaks of when it says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” God provided the way a child should go—the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Church is His body; it is the family of God, the house of God where His children blossom and grow to know Him and to be guided by His Spirit. The beauty of the church is that our children not only see this obedience to the word of God taking place in us, they are also surrounded by others in the church who desire to live according to the call God has placed in their lives as well. My children see what this call looks like, demonstrated through our pastors and the members of the church.
Growing up as a child, I attended many churches... but then I entered the Church! I’m speaking about the Church— the body of Christ worldwide. United Faith Church is part of that incredible universal church, that family of God that raises generations who are set apart to love and serve Him. A church that is confident in the Lord, yet humbled by the position to which it has been called. A church full of hope in the Lord and joy because the Lord is it’s strength.
“...they never miss out because God is so much greater, and our imaginations cannot grasp the wonderful things He has in store…”A church rooted in the Lord, and the things of the Lord. Here, my kids are given the opportunity to develop this character, because it is the very foundation of the Church being built in them. They are given the opportunity to know God while they are young. They are taught to build a relationship with God, and that He desires to have a relationship with them. God gives them identity. An identity that does not come from ancestry, but from His kingdom, His ancestry.This ancestry is completely different from how I was raised, and brings me into how God wants to teach me and raise my children. They are also taught that God has a specific plan for each of their lives. God's word is full of promises and hope for our children. His word leads them and shows them exactly how they are supposed to navigate this life full of tests and trials. God's word gives them hope in Him and not the things that this world may or may not have to offer. They know that no matter what may come in their lives, “...God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). They are able to develop confidence in the Lord because they know that God is faithful, and He always keeps His promises. They find fulfillment knowing that they may not be able to do everything everyone else is doing, but they never miss out because God is so much greater, and our imaginations cannot grasp the wonderful things He has in store for those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9).
My children are given the amazing gift of a church full of people invested in them, teaching them to know and walk with the Lord. A few years ago, I had the privilege of working in my daughter’s school. Her teacher sent her to me because she was very upset. It was Mother’s Day, and the children had been discussing their grandmothers in class. This upset my daughter because she did not have a living grandmother. I began to point out the many wonderful women God had placed in my daughter’s life through the church. This truth was so simple, so seamless for my daughter to grasp because these authentic relationships were already cultivated and so special to her. By the end of the conversation, my daughter was laughing. She understood that she not only had many grandmothers; she also had many aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, and grandfathers! She had an entire family!
As wonderful as these things are, nothing compares to the joy of my children knowing that the church is a place that God has given to them to grow in Him. They are given the freedom to grow in the way the Lord desires. It’s a place that they love to go to because they know that Jesus is there. It has become more than a building, it has become home.
