Very recently, I have again come across a very contradictory notion. I come across it often enough in the past, but every time I come across it catches me by surprise. The notion is contradictory in the fact that the very idea that this notion works toward is disbelieved when part of that notion comes to fruition.
The first part of this generally held notion, I totally agree with. That is that we should raise our children in a distinctly Biblical fashion. Indeed, we who are Christians (Christ followers) are commanded to raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. We should be actively discipling our children. Our children are actually Christ’s disciples. I whole-heartedly agree with this and am hoping to actively pursue this objective in raising my own children if God will grant me that privilege. However, what surprises me is when people who believe this are skeptical when their children talk and act like disciples of the Lord. They say things like, “Well, I am not sure if Johnny knows what he is saying. I just don’t think he really know what he is talking about. I think he is just regurgitating what he is told.” What??? Regurgitating what they are taught… how terrible… I guess?!?
I don’t know what to make of that. Don’t we want our children to regurgitate what they are taught? We teach them the ways of the Lord and then are surprised when they start talking about the ways of the Lord. It’s an interesting phenomenon, one that I surely don’t understand. Of course, as a covenantal Baptist it is hard for me to understand that at all, but even from a non paedo-baptist perspective, why would you be so shocked when your children regurgitate what you teach them, or act as if you didn’t think they could possibly know what they are really saying. After all, they are just children. But we seem to forget that Christ told us that we should become like unto a little Child. To be clear, this of course does not mean that we are to be childish in our ways and actions. But we are rather to have the faith of children. Now, if we are to have the faith of children, then why are we so skeptical that our children could possibly have the faith that they need in our Lord who loves them? Put more simply, we think that they need to grow up so that they can become like a child (Okay I’m confused now, can I go home?).
This is what I mean by saying that the very idea that the notion works toward is disbelieved when it comes to fruition. It seems they work hard to raise Godly children and then, when the children act Godly at a young age, they reject it. When we raise our children for the Lord, we should fully expect that they will act like the Lord’s. I won’t go into my views on baptism right now, I’ll save that for later.