When you have a child, there comes the inevitable baby shower beforehand, though some opt only for the always welcome gifts and provisions. The other kind of help comes whether you like it or not, and that is the opinions and advice. Who knew that there were so many different opinions and that they could all be right and wrong?

Once the baby comes and you begin the journey through the indescribable forest of parenthood, there are more gifts and advice to wade through. This time, it isn’t always as easy to dismiss with a quick internet search. These people want to help you with the spiritual education of your child, and there is nothing small or quick about that subject.

First off, it ought to be noted that scripture is very clear on who’s responsibility it is to raise up a child in the ways that they should go. Parents are tasked with the lifelong pursuit of imprinting faith and a right relationship with God upon their children. In many places, it is clear that there is not greater thing a parent can go than train up their children.

In looking at this task, we run in to a conundrum. While we have our own theologies, denominations, churches, etc. what is good for our children’s spiritual growth and what isn’t. On my shelf, I have at least seven children’s Bibles, most of which I may never open and offer to my daughter as spiritual nurturing. My wife and I have also taken time and care to select certain pieces of music we want to make sure are learned by the whole family, what music genres are appropriate as life’s soundtrack, and what music we can live without.

There are additional barriers for some parents. Many don’t enjoy praying out loud and struggle to find language to express the spirit’s groaning inside them. Others may simply freeze up when trying to articulate principles of faith, having more administrative gifts than evangelistic. Still more might struggle to know what in culture might be poisonous to the developing sensibilities in front of them.

For these people, I have great news. God has never asked us to be perfect, only obedient. If these are the concerns of our heart, we are likely already on the right track. Taking these apprehensions to God would be the next. Petitioning for the words to share in the myriad of situations one will come across throughout the entire life of a child is a way of showing God the desire of our heart is in line with His will. The rest of the good news is that God has not left us up to our own devices. He demonstrates to us every minute of every day that He wants to multiply our effort, take our incompetence or ignorance and craft it into something gorgeous and magnificent. We never have to be perfect, only obedient.

Throughout all of this one thing is clear: As we endeavor to bring up our children in relationship with Christ, knowing He is ultimately in control can give peace to the fears, strength to the timidness, and power to our best and worst efforts.

Pax,

Paul Hart Cochran