Changing the World
Several months ago my pastor preached a powerful message. He said, “The world will not change my children; my children will change the world.” We can expand this by saying, “The world will not change our children; our children will change the world.”
Until I heard this sermon, I thought like so many people think–Why would anyone bring a child into this world today with all the pain, suffering and hardships that individuals and families face today and will face in the years ahead, especially if God is not at the center of our lives individually and as a nation?
In all my years I had never thought about children with my pastor’s thought in mind. To be honest, having never thought this probably played a role in my not wanting children when I was younger.
When my pastor preached these words I wanted to stand up and say, “Way to go, Preacher!” This man has a vision for our nation that others and I have forgotten. We can become a better nation, and this will happen when we train our children in a way that will enable them to be stronger and make wiser and, honestly, better decisions than we have.
Indeed, if we would simply draw near to God, He will draw near to us. And in so doing, we can teach our children how to draw nearer to God. This cannot happen overnight. It will take time, but it will take our time and their time to reach this vision of being a more God-loving and God-fearing nation.
And, it will take all of us meeting with God on a regular and daily basis. It will take our children seeing men and women being the kinds of role models that help our little ones see the many rewards of being a Christ-follower in the world and changing our nation and the world.
With this in mind, I challenge all the adults reading my column this week to try more than you have ever attempted in your life to be a true Christ-follower. Maybe it’s not in you. Only you know.
But I challenge all of us for just one week to truly, I mean truly, walk and talk our faith in a way so that every time a child sees us—a mom, a dad, a grandparent, a neighbor—he or she will see someone who believes in the presence and power of Jesus Christ.
If we can do it for one week, try it for two weeks; if we can do it for two weeks, try it for three weeks. Keep trying until it becomes a pattern for your everyday life. In so doing, you not only strengthen your life, but your child’s life and do your part in making our nation and world a better place to live with more God-loving and God-fearing people.