Choosing Between Straight and Narrow, Wide and Winding

Years ago, I returned to my boyhood hometown to attend a high school reunion. Deciding to take a trip down memory lane, I drove past the house where I grew up and visited the “grammar school” I had attended. Going into the school surprised me in several ways. 

For one thing, the demographics had changed. Many of the kids there had last names like Gonzales, Lopez, Torres and Martinez. The closest to my name was probably Tamayo. But what surprised me most was the size of the school. It was much smaller than I remembered.

 

I can still recall my first day of school, walking down what seemed like a long, cavernous hallway to my kindergarten classroom. When I revisited the school, however, the hallway wasn’t long at all. It was so narrow I could touch both walls with my arms extended. It was barely wide enough for two people to pass.

 

Over the years since my grade-school days I’ve learned lots of things in life are narrow. Have you ever seen one of those videos on social media of a car or bus perilously traveling a single-lane road around a mountain in some Third World country? Turning around is unthinkable. The driver of the vehicle must be praying no one’s approaching from the opposite direction.

 

We’ve all encountered a narrow bridge where only one vehicle can cross at a time. If you arrive and several cars are coming from the other direction, you have no choice but to wait until they’ve gone by. Sometimes the same is true for tunnels carved through mountains. They’re either one-way, or you have to wait your turn when another vehicle is coming through going the other way. 

 

Traveling in Europe, I saw many narrow stairways in old parts of towns. In the walled city of Sopran, Hungary the entrance is a narrow tunnel that centuries ago was intentionally designed to repel the advance of enemy soldiers. Even Rock City on Lookout Mountain has its “Fat Man’s Squeeze” through which only slender people can pass – one at a time. Narrow can be so annoying.

 

We frequently hear complaints that Christianity is “too narrow,” that its teachings are too restrictive, too exclusionary. Jesus Christ offered no apologies for the ‘narrowness’ of following Him. Speaking to a large crowd during what is commonly known as His “sermon on the mount,” Jesus admonished, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

 

On another occasion, while Jesus was teaching in some towns and villages someone asked, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He responded, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able…” (Luke 13:23-24).

 

Some might argue, ‘But isn’t this narrow-minded? Aren’t there many ways to God? As long as you’re sincere?’ Jesus’ answer to this is simple, yet sobering. Speaking to His disciples just before the Passover Feast, He said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Yes, this sounds narrow, even dogmatic. But Jesus was declaring, “There’s no other way.”

 

While other religions and belief systems urge their adherents to seek God’s acceptance through good works or by keeping various rituals, Christianity is unique in asserting there’s no way we can merit His approval or assurance of eternal life. Ephesians 2:8-9 states categorically, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”

 

The “faith” it talks about is Jesus’ substitutionary death on the cross, shedding His blood to make the once and for all payment for our sins: “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13).

 

If that seems too narrow for some, it’s because we don’t – and can’t – fully comprehend the holiness and righteousness of God. It’s not a matter of good outweighing bad, or of “cleaning ourselves up” to become acceptable. In the Lord’s eyes, “good enough” can never be good enough: “…all our righteous acts are like filthy rags…” (Isaiah 64:6). Hence Jesus being the one and only way to God.

 

It’s not just the New Testament that teaches just one path to God. In the Old Testament the prophet wrote, “And there will be a highway called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel it – only those who walk in the Way – and fools will not stray onto it” (Isaiah 35:8). Similarly Psalm 1:6 warns, “For the Lord guards the path of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” 

 

Narrow might not be our preferred course for travel, but it’s the only way of avoiding the temptation to defy or ignore the precepts and principles God has provided through His Word. King Solomon, who suffered firsthand the consequences of choosing the wide road, offered a “Beware – Danger Ahead” caution among his many proverbs. In fact, Solomon felt it was so important he repeated it: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12, 16:25). 

 

The question we each must ask ourselves today – and every day – is, “Which way am I going to take? The narrow one – or the wider one that seems so enticing?” In the annals of rock music, there’s a “Highway to Hell” but a “Stairway to Heaven.” Coincidence? Maybe. Maybe not.

Having Achieved Independence, Let’s Revisit Dependence

We’ve just concluded celebrations of Independence Day and the 250^th anniversary of our nation’s founding. Independence, in many ways, has been a marvelous thing, not only for us as a country but also as individuals. Freedom is truly a blessing. However, as we enter the 251^st year of the United States, with no certainty about what the future may hold, it might be wise to recognize in some respects dependence isn’t a bad thing.

 

I’m not suggesting that we restore a dependent relationship with Great Britain. (My fake British accent is terrible.) But even though a “pull yourself up by your own bootstraps” philosophy has provided great motivation for many of our nation’s great achievers – whether explorers, settlers, farmers, inventors or entrepreneurs – we’re still dependent on others for our success.

 

This isn’t a message we often hear in our society. Napoleon Hill, in his 1937 book, Think and Grow Rich, emphasized individuality and independence in a statement that has shown amazing endurance over the decades since: “Whatever your mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” That declaration epitomized the so-called “American Dream,” that if a person works hard, he or she can achieve their wildest dreams. But tell that to a six-foot-five man who weighs 250 pounds. His dream of being the winning jockey in the Kentucky Derby is as probable as seeing a hippopotamus fly.

 

A corollary to Hill’s slogan is, “If it’s to be, it’s up to me.” It sounds clever, it rhymes, and it resonates with our natural bent toward self-centeredness. But in truth it’s not that simple. Every achievement requires some level of dependency.

 

Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto. Abbott had Costello. The best race car driver can’t win without the pit crew. The best wide receiver in football can’t do anything without the quarterback throwing him the ball. The best chef in the world can’t create a world-class meal without the people that grow, raise and produce the necessary ingredients. And the old song reminded us, “It takes two to tango.”

 

Nowhere is dependency more essential than in growing spiritually. Yet this is exactly where some of us insist on trying to demonstrate our independence. I know, because I’ve tried it – and failed miserably. People say, “You just have to have faith,” and then proceed as if there’s no God at all, as if everything weighs on their own shoulders.

 

But Jesus Christ said just the opposite: “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). He was evoking the image of two oxen yoked together, pulling a wagon or a plow. They share a load neither could pull on its own. The same is true spiritually. When the Lord calls us to do something, we’re to do our part but He doesn’t ask or expect us to operate independently from Him.

 

Elsewhere Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). The apostle Paul, in reviewing the various circumstances he had experienced in life – good and bad – affirmed that truth: “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).

 

There have been times when I thought I knew exactly what God wanted me to do and set out to do it – without consulting Him or seeking His direction. Only after spinning my wheels or finding myself at a dead-end did I remember, “Oh, yeah. I can’t do this without the Lord!”

 

To live the so-called “Christian life” also requires that we learn to value and utilize the strength of other believers. One of the best passages about this is Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, which says:

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work;

If one falls down, his friend can help him up.

But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up.

Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone?

Though one may be overpowered; two can defend themselves.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

 

Everything is easier when the workload is shared, whether it’s cooking a meal, making a bed, handling finances, or navigating through the many challenges of life. And growing in our faith isn’t intended to be pursued in solitude. As Proverbs 27:17 observes, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” A good friend used to say, “We should all be mentored mentors.”

 

There are those who think they can survive and thrive in their journey of faith without the aid of others, but from the beginning that wasn’t God’s intent. After creating the first man, Adam, the Lord concluded, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him” (Genesis 2:18). That remains true today.

 

The writer of Hebrews recognized the importance of having support from others as we strive to know and serve God and His people: “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:23-25).

“The Day” is the promised second coming of Christ. No one knows when that will be, but each day we’re closer to it. Independence has its benefits, but when Jesus returns we want to “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58). To accomplish that, we need to depend on one another – and especially on Him. 

Time to Clarify This ‘Separation’ Misconception

Congratulations to the United States on its 250^th anniversary! Many nations and governments have risen and fallen during that span of two-and-a-half centuries, and here’s hoping the “American way” continues to survive and thrive for many years to come. 

Is our nation perfect? Of course not. However, in the history of humankind there’s never been a perfect nation. But it’s fair to say the United States is unique and exceptional in numerous ways. As I noted in my last post, many foreign visitors to the U.S. for the World Cup can attest to that.

 

Determining what makes our nation distinctive is fodder for endless debate, but much credit goes to two documents that have spanned the 250 years and continue serving as guideposts for our society. These, of course, are the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. It would do us all good to read both in entirety at least once in our lives. 

 

The second paragraph of the Declaration, after declaring the 13 colonies’ intent to separate from mother England, starts with these words: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness….” There is considerable disagreement about what was meant by “Creator,” but it’s clear the Founding Fathers recognized a divine hand in creating “all men,” as well as in beginning and establishing the infant nation.

 

In fact, in the Constitution’s Bill of Rights, ratified on Dec. 15, 1791, the First Amendment declares, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof….” Recognizing the importance of religious belief and practice, it was number one on the list of guaranteed rights.

 

Over the years this became known as the “Establishment Clause.” It’s the basis for what is commonly known as the “separation of church and state,” although I believe its meaning has been misconstrued with the passage of time. Many have come to understand it as prohibiting any intersection of faith and government – an “East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet” divide.

 

Countless articles and books have been written about whether religious practice and governance are necessarily incompatible, but being an Independence Day baby myself, I offer some thoughts. 

 

Roger Williams, founder of Rhode Island, is credited with coining the concept in 1644, describing a "hedge or wall of separation" between the government and religion. However, his hope was to protect the church from state and governmental corruption, keeping “the wilderness of the world” separate from “the garden of the church.”

 

Then there was Thomas Jefferson, a Founding Father, primary author of the Declaration of Independence, and third President of the United States. His famous use of the phrase stems from an 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptist Association in which he referred to the First Amendment as building a "wall of separation between Church & State." He explained in the letter the amendment prevented the establishment of a national church, and that the Baptists need not fear government interference in their expressions of religious conscience.

 

What seems significant is the First Amendment’s wording prohibits government from establishing a national church or religion, as had been the case in England, but does not say one’s faith or religious convictions should be excluded from civic deliberations and responsibilities. Kind of like a One-Way sign on a street. It prohibits traffic going one way, but the other direction is completely permissible. There are many reasons for concluding our leaders through the years have believed that while government should not mandate religious practices, faith and religion can and should have an influential role in governance.

 

Some might argue the Constitution clearly separates the two. Not necessarily. As author Thomas Sowell, a noted economist, historian and social theorist has observed, “Some things are believed because they are demonstrably true – but many other things are believed simply because they have been asserted repeatedly and repetition has been accepted as a substitute for evidence.”

 

An objective review of history shows from its founding, many American leaders have not only respected the Bible but also considered its teachings invaluable for building and preserving our nation. Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration, stated, “The Bible contains more knowledge necessary to man in his present state than any other book in the world…. It is the only correct map of the human heart that ever has been published.”

 

John Jay, who served as President of the Continental Congress and was appointed the first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court by George Washington, said, “The Bible is the best of all books, for it is the Word of God and teaches us the way to be happy in this world and in the next.” 

 

Noah Webster, known as the “father of American scholarship and education” and publisher of the first distinctly American dictionary, expressed, “All of the miseries and evil when men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery and war, proceed from them despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible.”

 

President Andrew Jackson said, “It [the Bible] is the rock on which our Republic rests.” President Abraham Lincoln commented, “The Bible is the best gift God has given to men. All the good the Savior gave to the world was communicated through this book. But for it, we could not know right from wrong.”

 

William Douglas, who served as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1939 to 1975, asserted, “We are truthfully one nation under God and our institutions presupposed a divine being.” And President Theodore Roosevelt declared, “The teachings of the Bible are so interwoven and entwined with our whole civic and social life that it would be literally…impossible for us to figure to ourselves what that life would be if these teachings were removed….”

 

In 1864 Congress began legislation that ultimately led to “In God We Trust” being placed on all coins, and that became the official U.S. motto after World War II. The words “under God” were added to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954 at the direction of former World War II general and President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

 

The list goes on and on. I highly recommend The Founders’ Bible, which contains not only the entirety of the Scriptures but hundreds of well-researched and documented articles, commentaries and notes about what American statesmen and leaders through the past two centuries-plus have thought about the Bible and its importance for every level of society.

 

Our nation has become increasingly diverse in its citizens’ faith and religious practices. However, many of the values and principles upon which our land was established were uniquely drawn from the Scriptures, including the Ten Commandments, the Golden Rule, the Sermon on the Mount, and its other timeless teachings. 

 

These, according to John Adams, the second President of the United States, are indispensable: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” And in a letter to his brother, William, in 1816, John Jay stated, “Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest, of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their leaders.”

 

Such statements are likely to evoke cries of protest and outrage today, but in the words of Psalm 33:11-12, “The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart from generation to generation. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.” 

 

As we pause to celebrate 250 years as a sovereign nation, amid all the chaos, conflict and strife, it might be good to ponder the wisdom of our Founding Fathers – and the Word of God. Perhaps the answer to our greatly divided society is striving once again to become “one nation, under God, indivisible….”

World Cup Visitors Experiencing Culture Shock

Have you watched any of the videos of foreign visitors to the United States who’ve come here to cheer on their respective soccer (or if you prefer, futbol) teams in the World Cup? They’re hilarious. People from England, Italy, Scotland, Russia, Argentina, France, Australia, Germany, Japan and other countries speaking in amazement about everything from Buc-ee’s to Walmart, automated car washes to expansive highways, Dunkin Donuts to bars and beer, the grandeur of our geography to our passionate patriotism. 

Nearly every American they meet, they say, is so friendly and hospitable. I’m sure there are some whose experience hasn’t been so congratulatory, but for the most part it seems our legally visiting guests are dumbfounded over what they’re seeing, hearing and tasting in the good ole U.S.A.

 

The most interesting thing is they’re discovering America and its citizens are very different from the impressions they had been receiving from their national news sources. They don’t seem to fit the portrayals of angry, nasty, hostile Americans. Can you imagine – media presenting an intentionally skewed perspective on the news? 

 

Why are the majority of soccer fans on their first trips to the U.S. reacting in such favorable ways, talking up our country in such glowing terms? The effects of capitalism and materialism are part of it. Although we tend to take it for granted, the foreign guests are encountering everything from food to clothing to technology to housing in ways they’ve never experienced. You name it, we’ve got it. In abundance. 

 

But I think the primary reason is something far more fundamental. It’s the American culture that has been developed and maintained – at least so far – over the past 250 years.

 

In the marketplace, companies talk about their “culture” – the values, beliefs and principles that guide and govern how they conduct business. You can usually identify a business that has built a strong, positive, assertive culture. It not only attracts customers but also ensures they want to keep coming back. I believe the same is the case with our nation, even though our prevailing culture is so familiar to most of us that we don’t even think about it – until some “outsider” reminds us of it.

 

Where did this culture come from? How did it develop? I believe it was built into the fabric of our society by design, sewn into it through documents like our Declaration of Independence, our Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the actions and thinking of the nation’s founders. But it’s even deeper than that.

 

One of the underlying motivations for people fleeing England was their desire for freedom of religion, unfettered by the edicts of a national denomination. But they weren’t seeking freedom from religion, because faith was integral to these courageous folk who ventured across an entire ocean to a new land they had never seen and had only heard about.

 

As Mikale Olson recently wrote in an op-ed column for The Christian Post, “At the center of American life has always been a particular set of values: hospitality, personal responsibility, generosity, patriotism, individual liberty, and the belief that every human being possesses inherent dignity. These values were heavily shaped by our Christian heritage and became woven into the fabric of the nation itself.”

 

We find this implicit in the Declaration of Independence, dating back to July 4, 1776. Its opening includes these familiar words: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights….”

 

Where did the notion that all men – meaning, in the terminology of the time, both men and women – are “created equal” come from? Looking through history and at all the societies of our world, such equality is rare. This doesn’t mean all are identical, or that all should experience equal outcomes. But it does mean that all deserve the same Rights of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

 

The concept of a Creator comes directly from the Old Testament book of Genesis: “In the beginning God created…” (Genesis 1:1). Belief in the sanctity of life and many of the freedoms we enjoy today also have their basis in the Scriptures. In fact, freedom is one of the Bible’s foundational precepts: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free” (Galatians 5:1).

 

We could go down the line discussing characteristics of Americans our visiting soccer fans have happily discovered, but directly or indirectly many of them have derived from two central precepts Jesus Christ taught during His earthly ministry. One is what we commonly refer to as “the Golden Rule” – “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12).

 

The other is the principle of generosity that continues to inspire many in what is probably the most giving nation in the world. Jesus declared, “…remembering the words the Lord Jesus Himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:35).

 

Watching the news media and listening to many entertainers speaking from their exclusive enclaves, one might conclude the United States is one of the worst places in the history of the world. That apparently was what many of our foreign visitors anticipated. It’s gratifying that their expectations have not been realized; in fact, it’s been greatly to the contrary.

 

Conscious of it or not, it seems lots of our American citizens are in fact doing unto others as they would have them to do unto themselves. And they’re finding it really is more blessed to give than to receive. Perhaps the reactions of our foreign friends will serve as a wakeup call for us, recognizing that while the United States is far from perfect, it’s still “an amazing place,” as countless foreign friends have concluded.

To Identify Counterfeits, Study the Real Thing

Have you ever encountered counterfeit money? To my knowledge, I haven’t. But maybe that’s because I’m not a trained expert. I’m relatively familiar with U.S. currency, but I’m sure that if someone were to give me Canadian dollars or Euros, I’d be hard-pressed to know with certainty I wasn’t holding fake money. 

How do you become expert in spotting counterfeit cash? Here’s something you might not know: You don’t develop the necessary expertise by spending time examining bogus money. No, the skill for identifying counterfeits comes from knowing in detail what the real thing looks like.

 

That’s how Federal agents are trained. Their training spans a week or more, but for nearly the entire time they study only bona fide bucks. Literally, it’s money manufactured in “good faith,” without fraud of deceit. The agents study the most minute details – numbers, letters, fonts, paper quality, special markings, and everything else that makes each denomination distinctive. They become so familiar with it, it’s like staring at the backs of their hands. 

 

Only at the end of the training do the agents get to examine counterfeit money. By that time, because they’ve gained such intimate knowledge of what genuine currency looks like, when they see the counterfeits, they stand out as the proverbial sore thumb. It’s like those have been printed in a totally different color, with fonts and numerals having no resemblance to the real thing. Like Monopoly money.

 

It’s probably like that in learning to distinguish pricey products like Coach purses, Rolex watches, artwork and jewelry from cheap knockoffs and replicas. Experts know the genuine article so well, the counterfeits can be spotted immediately.

 

Have you ever considered that spiritual truth can be recognized the same way? We live in a time when we can be confronted by many religious counterfeits, all purporting to be the true path to God. With all the conflicting messages in our diverse society, how can we know which is right – and which are wrong?

 

The answer is simple: We need to invest the time and energy necessary to study and get to know the real thing as thoroughly as possible. Then the counterfeits will be easily identifiable.

 

Recently, I spent considerable time interacting with a friend about a “church” he was very enthused about, to the extent that he felt I needed to check it out myself. I’d never heard of this particular movement, but from the start I sensed something wasn’t right. 

 

I’ll not specify the identity of this “church,” but like many false religions it presents some claims that at first seem similar to what the Bible teaches. However, upon closer examination there are dramatic differences, clear contradictions to what God has revealed about Himself – and us – in the Scriptures.

 

During his missionary journeys, the apostle Paul encountered many spiritual counterfeits. In some settings he and those accompanying him were warmly welcomed, while they faced strong opposition in other places. On one trip, after a lengthy stay in Thessalonica, Paul and his band of brothers went to Berea. There they met a group of shrewd listeners who understood the process for distinguishing the genuine from the counterfeit.

 

We’re told, “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11). These were people well-acquainted with the Scriptures, and even though what Paul and the others taught sounded good, they were cautious to check the veracity of their claims. 

 

As a result of their diligence, “Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men” (Acts 17:12). They had determined that what Paul was teaching about Jesus Christ – how He had fulfilled the ancient predictions about the Messiah – aligned with the revered Torah and prophetic writings.

 

Speaking about the end times, Jesus Himself warned against “counterfeiters” who would seek to deceive both believers and non-believers. He said, “Many will come in My name and say, ‘I am He!’ and they will lead many astray…. And if anyone says to you at that time, ‘Look! Here is the Messiah!’ or ‘Look! There He is!’ – do not believe it. False messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible, the elect” (Mark 13:5-6,21-22).

 

Many people who follow Jesus, including numerous Bible scholars, believe we are nearing the promised “end of the age” and the return of Christ. Of course, folks have believed this since His resurrection and ascension. But without question, we’re one day closer to it than we were yesterday. 

 

No one knows for sure when that will be, but as the apostle Paul admonished believers in Thessalonica, “the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2). Thieves don’t announce their arrival beforehand, and Jesus isn’t obligated to broadcast the exact day and time of His return.

 

All we know, as we study and trust the Scriptures, is He definitely will come back so we need to be prepared. As the apostle John wrote, “Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come…. Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist – he denies the Father and the Son” (1 John 2:18,22).

 

We’ve been warned: Many counterfeits are coming, and some are already among us. We need to be wise and discerning – and the best way to do that is by being like the Bereans, studying the Scriptures to see if what we see and hear is true.

God’s Imponderable Patience for His Prodigals

For Father’s Day, the message at our church was on an appropriate topic – the “Prodigal Son.” Along with the parable about the Good Samaritan, the story of the prodigal son is probably among Jesus Christ’s most-recognized teachings.  

By way of refresher, we find the account in Luke 15:11-32. It’s about an ungrateful, greedy son who demands to receive his half of his father’s estate early. Imagine a child saying, in essence, “I wish you were dead. I want my portion of the inheritance – and I want it now!” 

 

Despite the insult, the father agrees, executing early division of his property between the son and his older brother. True to his impetuous, foolish nature, the younger one goes off and squanders his wealth on “wild living” (Luke 15:13). Jesus doesn’t elaborate – He allows His audience to fill in the blanks. The son becomes a “prodigal,” which is defined as being recklessly extravagant or wasteful.

 

Before long the wayward son has spent everything, losing all of his “friends” in the process. Making matters worse, a severe famine strikes the entire region, and the young man has run out of options. In desperation, he hires himself out to slop pigs in the fields. For a Jew, this would have been the height of humiliation; having to feed unclean, non-kosher animals. And wallowing in the mud and filth to boot. The young man is starving; even the pods he serves up to the pigs start to seem appetizing.

 

Then the son has a bright idea, one borne out of humility. His father’s servants are much better off than he is. He’ll return home, grovel apologetically, and beg to become one of the household servants. Hopefully his father will accept those terms.

 

Here’s where the parable gets especially interesting. As the son nears home, rehearsing his speech of regret, the father sees him approaching and is filled with love and excitement. “…his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son threw his arms around him and kissed him” (Luke 15:20). Not the reception the son had expected.

 

The son begins to offer his apology, but the father cuts him off. Rather than chastising the son, he decides it’s time for a party. “…the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him…. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found’” (Luke 15:22-24).

 

There is more to Jesus’ story, but at its essence it’s an analogy, a vivid depiction of the imponderable love, grace, and mercy that flows from the heart of God. How many times have we insulted God, either overtly by willful rebellion or indirectly by ignoring His teachings, His urgings, doing what we knew was contrary to His will?

 

I suspect all of us who are parents have suffered the sting of rejection from our children. A woman I used to work with would often say, “When your kids are young, they stomp on your feet. When they get older, they stomp on your heart.”

 

Thinking about how we’ve felt at times like that, imagine how we’ve made the Lord feel when we’ve turned our backs on Him or shown ingratitude for how lavishly He has blessed us. The father in the parable had every justification for turning his son away after displaying such insolence. But he didn’t. Instead, he quickly organized a spontaneous celebration.

 

This story serves as a micro example of the immeasurable grace – unmerited favor – and love our God extends to us despite our many sins, even as His born-again children. 

 

When Jesus told the parable of the prodigal, He also used a couple other parables – one of a shepherd going on a desperate search for a lost sheep and another about a woman who had lost a silver coin. In both cases after finding what had been lost, they reached out to friends and neighbors to share in their joy. As Jesus observed, “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10).

 

Can you imagine the reveling in heaven when you or someone you know well repented of wayward behavior and obstinate ways? Or perhaps you could be the one being described in the tale of the prodigal. You might even be saying and doing some of the right things, but down deep you know all’s not right with the Lord. It’s time for repentance. There’s a huge celebration being prepared for your return!

Fathers – a Vital Foundation for the Family

Sunday marks an important day for our society. Father’s Day celebrates the men who arrive home after a long day at work and are greeted by toddlers screaming, “Daddy, Daddy!” It honors those guys who take their sons or daughters to the park, fishing, or toss the baseball or football with them in the back yard. It commemorates the individual whose appearance evokes little attention from teen-aged children, that is until, “Dad, can I borrow the car?” or “Can I have $20 for my date tonight?” 

 

Unfortunately, Father’s Day has little or no meaning in many homes. The United States, according to studies, has the dubious distinction of having the highest rate in the world of children living in single-parent homes, with nearly 25 percent – about 23 million kids – living in these families.

 

The vast majority of these are father-absent homes, with single mothers having to carry the full responsibility of providing care for their children economically, physically and emotionally. In 2022, for example, 40 percent of all births in the U.S. were to unmarried women, four times the rate of 1970. The percentage is much higher in African-American homes, nearly 70 percent.

 

We rightly commend the strength, resolve and courage of single mothers, but what are the consequences for children growing up in single-parent homes? Research has shown that regardless of parents’ race or educational background, their kids are nearly four times more likely to live in poverty, have more difficulty academically, score poorly on tests – especially reading and math – and are more likely to drop out of school, dimming their prospects in adulthood.

 

Boys living in these environments are more likely to engage in negative social behaviors, and girls often lack confidence and struggle with decision-making. Factions in society might deny or ignore the negative impact of not having both father and mother in the home, but objective consideration of the facts tells us children growing up in intact, two-parent homes have a far greater likelihood of succeeding, enjoying fulfilling lives – and of being able to stay out of trouble.

 

Ecclesiastes 4:9 says it well: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work.” This applies to finishing a project at work, achieving success in sports, and especially for trying to handle the daunting challenges of raising children in our complex world.

 

One might argue that not all fathers are people we’d want to emulate. That’s true. But the same can be said of both men and women in any field of endeavor. There are glowing examples – and woeful failures. But this phenomenon of single-parent homes, largely led by moms, has been escalating since the mid-1960s. Starting with those years, divorces became more easily granted. In addition, government regulations and policies, intended or not, in effect encouraged fathers not to remain in the home with their wives and children.

 

As a result, we have multiple generations of children who have grown up without the influence of an in-home father. It follows that if a boy doesn’t have the example of a caring, devoted father growing up, it’s likely he won’t have a clue about how to become an effective father himself. And girls will have no idea what to seek in a man who is loving, faithful and willing to share the load of parenthood.

 

The Scriptures commend both fathers and mothers. But God, whom the Bible refers to as Father, indicates fathers have a divinely ordained role for the family. Speaking through Moses to the nation of Israel, a patriarchal society, the Lord commanded, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deuteronomy 6:4-7).

 

Without a father in the home, it can be very difficult for a boy to understand what it means to become a godly man, or for a girl to discover what a godly husband and father should look like. If  fortunate, they might find a father figure – an uncle, grandfather, good family friend – to provide that example. But from the start, God’s design has been for both father and mother to be present and involved to “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6).

 

Writing to believers in ancient Thessalonica, the apostle Paul pointed to both fathers and mothers to illustrate his love and concern for them: “…we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us…. For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into His kingdom and glory” (1 Thessalonians 2:7-8,11-12).

The Lord has given me the privilege of being the father of three daughters, a stepson and a stepdaughter, as well as being a grandfather and great-grandfather. I’ve been far from perfect, and if dads were given a “mulligan,” I’d certainly take one in some areas. But together, my wife and I have strived to provide a consistent example of love, commitment, and faith. I would hope and pray that everyone reading this would aim for that as well. Happy Father’s Day! 

Pride Is Good for Lions, Not for People

Have you ever considered the names given to groups of different animals? We know birds and sheep gather in flocks, while we find cattle and buffalo in herds. Fish are probably the most educated of living creatures since they’re always in schools. You can find elephants either in a herd or a parade – especially during holiday celebrations, apparently. Dogs and wolves sometimes travel in a pack, although I’ve never seen one carrying a suitcase.  

Sharks swim in a shiver, even when the water’s warm. Jellyfish can be found in a smack, while whales and dolphins cavort in pods. (Like peas, I guess.) Gorillas and coyotes associate in a band, although no one knows which instruments they play. If you find a bunch of crows together, that’s a murder – but it’s not a felony. Rattlesnakes are found in a rhumba, but beware before dancing with them.

 

Some animals apparently are more organized than others, because cheetahs are found in a coalition, eagles in a convocation, owls in a parliament, baboons in a troop, crabs in a consortium, and alligators in a congregation – although I don’t think I’d try attending that church. Lemurs convene in a conspiracy – at least in theory.

 

Ants, beavers and penguins all are found in colonies, but never in the same place at the same time. Other names for animal groups seem aptly descriptive, like a flamboyance of flamingos, a dazzle of zebras, a crash of rhinoceroses, a streak of tigers, a gaggle of geese, a romp of otters, a scurry of squirrels, a caravan of camels, a cackle of hyenas, and a cloud of gnats. If you find a bunch of pandas together it’s an embarrassment, but I’ve never seen a panda blushing.

 

My favorite name for an animal grouping is a pride of lions. They certainly ought to be proud: The majestic manes that frame the heads of male lions. Their ferocious, fearsome roars. And those huge teeth that would make any dentist giddy with anticipation. 

 

However, while pride is fitting for lions, it’s not such a good thing for humans. It’s fine to be proud of a job well done or some notable achievement. But that’s not so much a matter of pride as it is feeling satisfied or gratified by the outcome of one’s efforts. And speaking of colonies, as the 250^th anniversary of our nation’s founding approaches, it’s not a sin being proud to be an American. Just as people from other countries take pride in their own national heritages.

 

The problem with pride occurs when egotism and self-centeredness enter the picture. It’s easy to identify because it typically carries with it the pronouns “I” and “me” – being used ad nauseum. Pride is also known as hubris, arrogance, and unjustified levels of confidence or conceit. Putting it in spiritual terms, it’s choosing to be one’s own god. We see it being manifested by athletes, entertainers, politicians (on both sides of the aisle) and other people of note. But one doesn’t need to be famous to be prideful.

 

Reading the Scriptures, we find examples of overweening pride from beginning to end. It didn’t take Adam and Eve long to start practicing it. God had said their only prohibition in the Garden of Eden was to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The first couple decided to defy that command, agreeing with Satan – disguised as a serpent – when he said, “…when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5).

 

This self-indulgent, sinful “heredity” quickly presented itself in Adam and Eve’s offspring. When it came time to give an offering to God, younger brother Abel’s was accepted but not Cain’s, the elder. In a fit of prideful, jealous rage, Cain killed his brother, as recounted in Genesis 4:2-12. The entirety of the Bible recounts many instances of this spiritual tug-of-war, humankind’s rebellion proudly facing off against the precepts and principles of a loving but also righteous, just God.

 

A striking example is the account of when Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar fulfilled a prophecy from Daniel, an exiled Israelite who risen to become one of the king’s chief advisors. One day while walking on the roof on his royal palace the king said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built…by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” Instantly the king was driven from his people and lived seven years with wild animals, “until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone He wishes” (Daniel 4:28-37).

 

In 1 Timothy 6:10, the apostle Paul wrote that “the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil…,” but as brilliant Christian apologist C.S. Lewis observed, pride is at the heart of every sin: lust, greed, coveting, anger, etc.

 

Expressing how God feels about selfish pride, the book of Proverbs offers many contrasts between pride and humility. For instance: 

“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom” (Proverbs 11:2). 

“The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor” (Proverbs 15:33).

“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).

“The proud and arrogant man – ‘Mocker’ is his name; he behaves with overweening pride” (Proverbs 21:24).

“Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life” (Proverbs 22:4).

 

Speaking of the importance for younger men to be respectful and submissive to their elders, the apostle Peter admonished, “…All of you, clothes yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time” (1 Peter 5:5-6).

 

Moral of the story: If you’re a lion, take pride in that. But if you’re a human, err on the side of humility.

Does Your Everyday Life Even Have a Prayer?

"When all else fails, pray.” We’ve probably all heard someone say that at one time or another. We might have said it ourselves when it seemed like everything we’ve tried to do hasn’t worked. That’s one reason it’s said there are no atheists in foxholes. Bombs falling overhead and bullets zipping past can definitely foster feelings of helplessness.

 

But this “last resort” attitude toward prayer isn’t limited to dangerous, near-death situations. It applies to everyday circumstances as well. Making major decisions like buying and selling houses. Deciding whether to trade in Old Reliable SUV for a new one. Evaluating job and career options. We tend to explore every possible option until we finally hit a wall, at a loss as to what we should do. Then – and only then – do we think maybe it would help to pray.

 

Ironically, this often happens even in churches and ministry situations. Whether it’s preparing a sermon, practicing worship music, planning youth activities, or organizing mission outreach programs, we plunge ahead with our ideas and plans. What does the Lord think about what we’re doing? Well, if necessary, we’ll pause and ask Him.

 

But as we study the Scriptures, we discover prayer should be treated as the first resort, not the last. Adam and Eve didn’t pray about whether to sample the forbidden fruit – and we know what happened as a result. Throughout the Old Testament, the patriarchs and prophets all understood the importance of prayer. Many times they learned this initially by failing to pray and then having to deal with the consequences.

 

We have no better example of the power of prayer than the prophet Elijah, who was remembered by the apostle James. “Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops” (James 5:17-18).

 

Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry made prayer a top priority from the onset. After having performed many miracles, He chose to spend time alone in prayer, seeking direction and the strength He needed for the days ahead. “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed” (Mark 1:35).

 

At that time, however, Jesus’ disciples didn’t get it. With so much to do, so many people with whom to minister, they might have been wondering why He was “wasting time” praying. “Simon and his companions went to look for Him, and when they found Him, they exclaimed, ‘Everyone is looking for you!’” (Mark 1:36-37). In essence, “We don’t have time to pray!”

 

But Jesus followed this practice repeatedly over the next three years. Just hours before His betrayal, Jesus did what He knew was the very best thing, as recounted in Matthew 26:36-44: He prayed. “Then Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and He said to them, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray’…. Going a little farther, He fell with His face to the ground and prayed….” After checking on His disciples overcome with grief and exhaustion, Jesus did this twice more before Judas Iscariot arrived with the religious leaders and Roman officials to betray Him. 

 

Oswald Chambers, whose powerful devotional messages continue to minister to people all around the world more than 100 years after his death, made this observation: “Prayer does not prepare us for the greater work. Prayer is the greater work.”

 

With no greater example of this than Jesus, the apostles Peter and John admonished that if we’re true followers of Christ we should do as He did: 

“…For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example so that you would follow in His steps” (1 Peter 2:21). 

“Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked” (1 John 2:6).

 

More times than I’d like to admit, I’ve charged ahead with whatever task or objective I felt I should be pursuing, including the ministry of the written word, without pausing first to pray and seek God’s guidance. Sometimes I may have figured I already knew what needed to be done and didn’t want to risk asking Him about it. What if the Lord had different ideas?

 

Then, after spinning my wheels and realizing what I was attempting to do wasn’t working after all, I’d stop to pray – also asking forgiveness for being so presumptuous. Time and again I’d be reminded of what the old TV sitcom used to assert: “Father Knows Best.”

 

Perhaps it would be helpful for us to post a sign on our desk at work, on the refrigerator, or even on the bathroom mirror to remind us: “Prayer doesn’t prepare us for the greater work. Prayer is the greater work.” 

Having Faith Is a Tasteful Thing to Do

You had driven past the same restaurant countless times but never seriously thought about stopping to see what it was like. Maybe the exterior wasn’t very inviting, or the name didn’t catch your attention. Then a friend recommended it, so you decided, “Let’s give it a try.” To your surprise, the food tasted great, the service at the restaurant was excellent, and you wondered, “Why didn’t we try this place years ago?”

 

Or you’ve always avoided eating a certain kind of food. Not because you didn’t like it – because you had never even tried it. It just didn’t seem like something that would appeal to your palate. Then someone you were dining with ordered that food and insisted you try it. “Just a taste. You don’t know what you’re missing.” With a shrug you agreed, and instantly your tastebuds started doing a happy dance. After resisting even to try it, you were scratching your head thinking, “I should have tried this long ago!”

 

This was the case for us some years back. We’d driven by a certain pizza place many times but had never made the right turn to sample their menu. We already had a go-to pizza restaurant, so why bother going somewhere else? One day we couldn’t agree on where to eat, so we opted to go there. A friend had often said the food was really good. To our surprise, their salads were excellent and the pies were better than any we’d had anywhere else in town. It quickly became our favorite.

 

Maybe you’ve seen an infant initially balk at opening her mouth and trying a spoonful of new food, but mommy finally successfully gets some in despite tightened lips. Baby’s eyes suddenly get wide with excitement and she’s opening her mouth, eager for another bite.

 

In each case, initial reluctance was overcome by just a taste, a little sampling. That’s all it takes. I’ve experienced this spiritually as well. I’d gone to church for most of my life but had kept my “relationship” with God at an arm’s length at best. Most of the time I just ignored Him altogether, except for moments of crisis when I’d send a few “flare prayers” heavenward. Once the “emergency” had passed, however, I would resume living my life as usual, with no thought of God. 

 

I’d even read the Bible front to back during my senior year of high school purely out of curiosity, but my spiritual life was like glancing as goodies through a bakery window but never going inside to buy anything. Then I started attending a church where the pastor taught the Bible in a way I’d never heard before. For the first time, I took a real “taste.” 

 

The Bible talks about this. Psalm 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.” And in 1 Peter 2:3 the apostle writes, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”

 

Unfortunately, many people never allow themselves even the first taste. Like the little kid who turns up his nose at carrots or peas or even mashed potatoes, folks have already decided for whatever reason that giving faith in God a try isn’t something they’re going to do.

 

However, my own experience and that of countless people I’ve gotten to know over the years serve as proof such a choice is a foolish one. It’s not always easy, sometimes downright difficult. But a life of walking with Jesus Christ is infinitely better than insisting on living life without Him.

 

What does it mean to “taste that the Lord is good”? For me it means to read some of the promises in the Scriptures, truths God has revealed about Himself, and act upon them in faith. One of them for me early on was Proverbs 3:5-6, which says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Never once has He failed to guide me, often far beyond my greatest hopes and expectations.

 

Countless books have been written and sermons beyond number given to explain what happens when people seriously “taste” what the Lord has to offer. Galatians 5:22-23 gives a brief list summarizing just some of the many benefits of having God in our lives: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control….” Who wouldn’t want those in their life?

 

Then there are grace and mercy, freely given even though we all are so undeserving. If we’re honest with ourselves and recognize how our sinfulness is so distasteful to a holy, righteous God, the assurance of receiving complete and utter forgiveness from Him is almost unbelievable. John Newton, a slave trader among other things before his encounter with Jesus Christ, captured this in his well-known hymn, “Amazing Grace.”

 

I’ve read hundreds of books over my lifetime, but none compares with the Bible. Its scope, depth, wisdom and truth surpass anything the mind of man has ever conceived. Just to sample it, giving it an honest taste, is enough to want to make it a part of your daily “diet.” As the psalmist wrote in the longest of the Psalms, “How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103).

The idea of “tasting” God is more than a metaphor. Jesus Christ referred to it as a reality, an invitation to dine with Him in ways no kitchen or restaurant could boast. Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst” (John 6:35). He also said, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20). If you haven’t tried Him, don’t wait another day.

Considering the ‘Math’ of Christianity

Have you ever gone into a grocery store and looked at two different size packages or containers for a product you wanted to buy? Which is cheaper? The answer is simple: Do the math. If 32 ounces of something costs $5.49, but 64 ounces of the same thing costs $8.99, a simple calculation will tell you the larger one costs less per ounce.

 

When making a major purchase, such as buying a new house, new car or even a new TV, “do the math” can be sound advice. What impact will that have on the budget? Can we afford it? There are few things worse than monthly outgo exceeding monthly income. Been there and done that!

 

Interestingly enough, there were times when Jesus Christ asked His disciples to do the math, although not in so many words. We have instances recorded in the gospels when He confounded them by doing what seemed mathematically impossible, except for the fact that “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). 

 

Mark 6:30-44 recounts a time when more than 5,000 men, women and children gathered to hear Jesus speak. When the disciples pointed out it was getting late in the day and the people were getting hungry, Jesus responded, “You give them something to eat.” To which they responded, “That would take eight months of a man’s wages!” 

 

Rather than telling the disciples to send His eager listeners away to fend for themselves, Jesus asked how much food was on hand. The disciples looked around and found five loaves of bread and two fish, hardly enough to cater a suitable meal for a small group, let alone the assembled throng. But for Jesus that was sufficient. He blessed the food, looking up to heaven and offering thanks for it, then instructed the disciples to start distributing it.

 

Miraculously, everyone had more than enough to eat – with 12 basketsful of broken pieces of bread and fish left over.

 

Another time, recorded in Mark 8:1-10, Jesus did the same with another large crowd that exceeded 4,000. This time He had seven loaves of bread and a few small fish to work with. He again gave thanks before the food was passed through the gathering of men, women and children. Afterward the disciples collected seven basketfuls of broken pieces. When the disciples tried to ‘do the math,’ the task seemed insurmountable. But when God does His multiplication, the impossible becomes possible.

 

In both accounts, the Lord demonstrated His preferred arithmetic operation is multiplication. This idea is consistent throughout both the Old and New Testaments. In the Bible’s opening chapter, after God created Adam and Eve as the first humans, His first command to them was, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it…” (Genesis 1:28).

 

We could cite other examples in the Scriptures of how the Lord multiplied things in a material sense, but most important is that God doesn’t limit His ‘mathematical’ strategies to things like food and wine and oil. His primary focus is to multiply the number of those who become His devoted followers.

 

Within the context of the Creation account, before the command to “be fruitful and multiply” we read, “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27). He wanted them to reproduce both physically and spiritually, making more people who would become His image-bearers.

 

Ultimately, what this looks like in Christianity is disciple-making. In His Great Commission, given just before ascending to heaven, Jesus instructed His disciples, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:19-20). This directive was intentional. Mere converts – what the Bible calls “newborn babes” in Christ – aren’t mature enough to reproduce. That’s the responsibility of true disciples – followers, learners and mentors who will become spiritual reproducers.

 

Too often the modern Church focuses on converts, getting folks to pray a salvation prayer or walk an aisle. However, when people begin to grow in their relationship with Christ there’s a ripple effect, an exponential impact that multiplies from one person to another, from one generation to the next.

 

This is why the apostle Paul, writing to his protégé Timothy, admonished him, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2). In that single verse we see four generations of believers – Paul, Timothy, reliable (or faithful) people, and others.

 

Years ago, a friend showed me an Old Testament parallel to this imagery. Speaking to the Israelites, His chosen people, God declared, “Since you are precious and honored in My sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life” (Isaiah 43:4).

 

This promise continues to hold true today. I’ve known many people who have taken it to heart, investing countless hours and pouring their lives into younger believers, helping them to understand and apply the foundational truths of the Scriptures so they can grow in their faith and reciprocate with others the Lord brings into their lives.

 

God can multiply our material resources whenever necessary, fulfilling the assurance of Philippians 4:19, "And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus.” Of far greater importance, He desires to do spiritual multiplication, multiplying those who follow Him and will faithfully serve and represent Him to a broken world desperately needing to hear the life-changing Good News of Christ.

From a ragtag group of followers after His resurrection, the Lord has multiplied believers all around the world, millions upon millions. All because of obedience to His command to “go and make disciples.” You can do the math. 

Like Arrows in the Hands of Warriors

What would you think of a shooting instructor that commanded his students, “Ready! Fire! Aim!”? Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? Because anyone who’s ever held and fired a gun knows you get ready first, then you determine your target and carefully aim at it, and then you fire the weapon. 

Unfortunately, many parents today seem to operate in the fire-first, aim-later mode. They carry out their parenting responsibilities with a reactive approach rather than being proactive. Tyrannized by the urgent rather than being guided by the important. They might have vision for how they’d like their kids to turn out but fail to do the hard work of pointing them in the right direction and getting them to the “target.”

 

The Bible relates the mission of parenting to a kind of “target practice,” but instead of using a gun as a metaphor (they didn’t exist back then) it uses a bow and arrow. Psalm 127:3-5 says:

“Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are children of one’s youth.

How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. 

They will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies at the gate.”

 

We might not often think of parenting in terms of warfare – except possibly when dealing with a headstrong, rebellious child. But perhaps being warriors going to war is a fitting comparison for our times today. Parents in every generation may have felt this way to some degree, but it seems the challenges we’re facing are greater than at any time in the past. 

 

With the pressures and distractions of technology, influence of social media, and society’s constant attacks on traditional values, our calling for raising responsible, productive, God-fearing children is confronted with more obstacles than ever. Parenting can’t be treated as some side-hustle while focusing on other things.

 

Why the analogy of children to “arrows in the hand of a warrior”? To be honest, I’ve never shot a competition-quality bow and arrow. I only played with toy bows and arrows when I was a boy. But I know enough to understand that whether you’re preparing to shoot an arrow, fire a gun, or set a course for your career, an old saying applies: “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.”

 

Too often parents opt for nothing and abdicate their own responsibilities, presuming they can rely on schools and the church to provide the necessary training. Unfortunately, much of what is being taught in many schools contradicts what the Lord instructs in His Word, so we can’t trust them to do the job. As for church, even the best ones only have our kids a couple hours each week, so the positive impact they can have is small compared to the influences surrounding our kids every day.

 

This is why the teaching of Proverbs 22:6 is so profound: “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.” This isn’t a guarantee that children will grow up to be devout followers of Jesus and be recognized as godly leaders. However, it’s our responsibility to teach them what’s right and true and reinforce that by serving as consistent examples of what a person with a heart after God should look like.

 

Training our children effectively requires time, effort and intentionality. A well-accepted goal-setting guideline is to ask and answer three important questions: “Where are we going? How are we going to get there? How will we know when we’ve arrived?” These also are good questions to consider in formulating a strategy for raising children who will know the way they should go – and when they’re old, won’t depart from it.

 

Granted, we don’t have complete control over how our kids will ultimately turn out. God does much of the work, drawing them to Himself and molding their hearts, often using life’s circumstances to get their attention. And kids, especially once they become teenagers and older, must make many of their own decisions. Some of which we might not agree with. But then, didn’t we learn to make good decisions – by sometimes making bad decisions?

 

However, just as the Lord makes us stewards (managers) of the material resources He entrusts to us, we’re also stewards of the children He’s given to us. Like it or not, we’re to serve as trainers for our youngsters. They’re not going to become model citizens automatically.

 

Remember “show and tell” when you were in elementary school? In a sense, parenting also is a show-and-tell endeavor: We show how to do things the right way, including living a life of faith in Christ. This includes praying with our kids and praying to the Lord for them. We tell them what God says in His Word, and show we believe what it says by living accordingly.

 

Deuteronomy 6:5-7 admonishes us, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them with you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

 

Clearly, God has made raising our children – teaching and showing them the way they should go – a primary responsibility. If we don’t do our job, someone else will do it by proxy. And we might not like the target at which they’re aiming.