Faith Tabernacle

Most parents want their students to discover God on their own. I hear this quite a bit and on the surface it sounds good and even right. What Christian parent wouldn’t want their students to discover God and their relationship with Jesus on their own? It seems more meaningful that way. The danger is in how this discovery process is played out. While this trend sounds right, I believe this approach is incredibly unhealthy and sets students up for failure.

Imagine if I decided that I wanted my 3yr old boy to discover, on his own, essential life skills like personal hygiene, an education, respect for others, healthy eating habits and personal fitness. What would that lead to? DISASTER! Any parent who would leave their child to just "discover" such things wouldn’t really be a parent at all, would they. So because I love my son I make him or even force him to learn essential life skills and I put him in relationship with people who will teach and reinforce these skills.

In many homes there are non-negotiable issues like respecting each other, doing chores, doing homework and taking care of personal hygiene. When we make these things a value or non-negotiable in our home we are communicating to our children, sometimes without even saying it, that these things are very important.

Still, this isn’t how we treat spirituality in our homes. Spirituality is not to be forced. Everyone hates that ugly word, forced. Yet you would probably agree that if I didn’t force my son to listen and learn from me the essentials listed above I would be handicapping him for life. Many parents are afraid that if they force their children to do spiritual practices that they will rebel and run away from it.

I contend that when we don’t make spiritual practices like being connected to believers (going to church), serving others, or learning scripture non-negotiable or a value in our home we are communicating, without saying it, that these things are not important. Teenagers pick up on that and because of it many of them put no effort into their spiritual life and will never discover on their own a personal relationship with Christ.

Think about this, while students are being educated in school many of them will discover what subjects they excel at and are passionate about. These discoveries would never happen if they weren’t forced to be a student and learn. I would submit to you that unless you force your students to be a part of spiritual practices they may never discover what they excel at and are passionate about spiritually, including a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ.

So don't leave your students to discover something this important all by themselves. Set them up for this discovery by making spiritual practices non-negotiable in your home.