So I sat in church recently and listened to a song for a baby dedication…a similar song played at a graduation service…and I started to get choked up!
Can you relate to that quote? I’ve been told to cherish time with my children because they grow up quick! I would agree, but not take it to heart. For 15 years as a youth pastor I would attend hundreds of open houses, shake graduates hands, and not really consider what was taking place. Now I get it. Now I’m the one listening to that song and getting choked up. Now I’m the one saying, “cherish time with your children…they grow up so quick.”
Change is just around the corner. Well, actually change is already here. My oldest is graduating. I think all this year I heard these words, “this is the last time I’ll…” And so it is. Do I hang my head and have a pity party? Do I long for those days of childhood and innocence? Can we lock him up in the basement and keep him around until we are emotionally ready for all this? No…no…and definitely not.
We are proud of our son. We are proud of all the graduates. They have worked hard, they have experienced a great deal, and they have been prepared for what is next in their life journey. Now it’s time to spread the wings and fly, right?!
We can’t be overwhelmed or filled with anxiety for our children’s future. We can’t walk around daily asking, “what if.” We must trust my Heavenly Father, that we have been faithful in raising our children to seek, trust, and obey God. We must trust God that our children will choose to journey with God during the next few critical years of their life.
Graduation isn’t the only thing that causes us to look “change” square in the eyes. It may be a job change, a death, a birth, a rule, a procedure, and even a new relationship. Change occurs around us daily. So I offer this encouragement to all of us facing change – make sure your foundation is strong!
In Matthew 7:24, Jesus taught this: “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
I see change in life, like storms. They come knowingly and unexpectedly. They bring refreshment for dry ground, but they also bring potential for damage. In this teaching, Jesus refers to listening and obeying His Words as essential for building a strong foundation. So that when the storms of life come upon us, we won’t collapse. Our challenge is to make sure we are building strong and firm foundations in Jesus Christ.
This is why programs like Children’s Church, GPS, Tupos, and TNKRTS is so important. This is why we are challenged to grow, so that we can impart what we learn onto our children.
It’s not too late to work on your spiritual foundation. It’s not too late to work on the spiritual foundation of our children. Start today…begin now. Open up God’s Word on a daily basis, seek His wisdom. Make it a habit to journey through God’s Word, praying, and walking with confidence as His Holy Spirit walks with us.
Can you relate to that quote? I’ve been told to cherish time with my children because they grow up quick! I would agree, but not take it to heart. For 15 years as a youth pastor I would attend hundreds of open houses, shake graduates hands, and not really consider what was taking place. Now I get it. Now I’m the one listening to that song and getting choked up. Now I’m the one saying, “cherish time with your children…they grow up so quick.”
Change is just around the corner. Well, actually change is already here. My oldest is graduating. I think all this year I heard these words, “this is the last time I’ll…” And so it is. Do I hang my head and have a pity party? Do I long for those days of childhood and innocence? Can we lock him up in the basement and keep him around until we are emotionally ready for all this? No…no…and definitely not.
We are proud of our son. We are proud of all the graduates. They have worked hard, they have experienced a great deal, and they have been prepared for what is next in their life journey. Now it’s time to spread the wings and fly, right?!
We can’t be overwhelmed or filled with anxiety for our children’s future. We can’t walk around daily asking, “what if.” We must trust my Heavenly Father, that we have been faithful in raising our children to seek, trust, and obey God. We must trust God that our children will choose to journey with God during the next few critical years of their life.
Graduation isn’t the only thing that causes us to look “change” square in the eyes. It may be a job change, a death, a birth, a rule, a procedure, and even a new relationship. Change occurs around us daily. So I offer this encouragement to all of us facing change – make sure your foundation is strong!
In Matthew 7:24, Jesus taught this: “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
I see change in life, like storms. They come knowingly and unexpectedly. They bring refreshment for dry ground, but they also bring potential for damage. In this teaching, Jesus refers to listening and obeying His Words as essential for building a strong foundation. So that when the storms of life come upon us, we won’t collapse. Our challenge is to make sure we are building strong and firm foundations in Jesus Christ.
This is why programs like Children’s Church, GPS, Tupos, and TNKRTS is so important. This is why we are challenged to grow, so that we can impart what we learn onto our children.
It’s not too late to work on your spiritual foundation. It’s not too late to work on the spiritual foundation of our children. Start today…begin now. Open up God’s Word on a daily basis, seek His wisdom. Make it a habit to journey through God’s Word, praying, and walking with confidence as His Holy Spirit walks with us.
Psalm 111:10, “Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever!“
Proverbs 10:25, “When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation.“
God bless you as you faithfully and prayerfully follow Him.
Pastor Rex