“Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.”
I Peter 2:17
As Independence Day approaches, we turn our thoughts again to the condition of our country and speculate as to what the future holds for our children. We are seeing more and more conflicts in rendering unto Caesar and at the same time being able to render unto God. No one knows exactly what the future holds, but certain trends seem quite evident. We are seeing greater antagonism toward Christians. We are witnessing a world where many races and cultures are intermingling. The nation’s budget deficit sparks many questions as to survival itself. How can we prepare our children to cope with these trends?
It is obvious that our children will need a great amount of courage to take a stand for Christ in the future. They cannot do this unless they are truly convinced that Christ’s way is the only way. They must be well-grounded and truly committed and possibly even willing to go to prison as Paul did in the Bible. Our parents and churches cannot afford to waste time on things that do not have lasting value in preparing children. Fun activities may need to be limited in favor of serious Bible teaching. Some may say, “Let children be children.” This sounds good in theory, and of course children should not be robbed of all fun, but there is no logic in thinking that children can go all through childhood years simply enjoying themselves and being entirely cared for, and then when they are grown suddenly say, “Now, I will do everything for myself.” No, responsibility must be taught at a young age as the children are able to accept it.
Our country has already become a melting pot of many nationalities. Individuals have brought with them their religious beliefs and customs. Our children will face the things that were far away for those of us who are older. Few people know the meaning of Sharia law or the many other beliefs that are already on our doorstep. Our children need training to help them understand why Jesus is the only answer to our nation’s problems. Otherwise, they will be caught completely off guard as they rub elbows with many people with differing opinions.
As prices continue to climb and we continue to borrow money from other countries, we are becoming more and more vulnerable as a nation. It is not unrealistic to think that the time may come when government money will no longer be available to help. Children must learn to be thrifty and use resources wisely. We are subordinating our nation to other nations as we continue to be indebted to them. Children need to learn to be self-sufficient and distinguish between needs and wants.
If this sounds like a big task, it is because it is a big task. Children are capable of learning and doing much more than we often expect of them. We must rise to the task of preparing them for the future.