Chapter Five: Taking On Appropriate Responsibility

Book: Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions
Chapter Five – Taking On Appropriate Responsibility

This is a tremendous chapter that all parents of children should read. In this chapter, Barna give several ideas, thoughts and ways that you and your family can teach spiritual truths to children.

Barna begins be telling us, “Our (Barna’s) national survey shows that while more than 4 out of 5 parents (85%) believe they have the primary responsibility for the moral and spiritual development of their children, more than two out of three of them abdicate that responsibility to the church.” pg 78

Barna states there are two major reasons for this behavior. First, parents are merely following the precedent that was set for them. They are raising their children the way that they were raised themselves. Secondly, most churchgoing parents are neither spiritually mature nor spiritually inclined and there for do not have a sense of urgency or necessity about raising their kids to be spiritual champions.

Personally, while I have found both of these to be true, I believe there is a third reason. It is hard, inconvenient, and incredibly tedious WORK – and we are too busy or lazy to really worry about it. We believe that if we drop them off at church, and “get them saved,” that everything will work out alright.

I think this would be a good place to ask for your comments on why you think this is true.

Barna writes, “When a church – intentionally or not – assumes a families responsibility in the arena of spiritually nurturing children, if fosters an unhealthy dependence upon the church to relieve the family of its biblical responsibility.” pg 81

God’s plan is for families to lead in the provision of spiritual development for their children.

• Parents should provide the primary spiritual training of children. Deut. 1:31; 6:4-0; 11:18-21; 21:28-19; Psa. 78:5-8; Eph. 6:4.
• The purpose of spiritual training is to instill a passion to love, obey and serve God. Matt. 10:37; 12:48-50; 1 Tim. 4:7; 2 Tim 3:15-17.
• Parents must start the spiritual training of children when they are young. Isa. 7:15; Acts 26:4
• Worshipping God is one of a believer’s most significant responsibilities. Deut. 16:11; 29:18; 1 Sam 1:19.
• Spiritual development is a lifelong, continual process. Deut. 6:7; 11:19; Prov. 22:6
• Part of the parental responsibility is to introduce appropriate discipline into children’s lives and to avoid pampering them. Prov. 3:11-12; 13:1; 19:18; 23:12-14; 29:15-17; Col. 3:20
• Parents are called to introduce their children to appropriate behavior, as modeled by the church’s patriarchs and saints. Num. 18:11; Deut. 15:20; 16:11
• Spiritual transformation requires us to rely upon God’s grace and power; we much therefore pray for the child we seek to impact for God. 1 Sam 1:10-16; 2 Sam 12:16; Lam. 2:19
• The basis for spiritual training is the Bible Prov. 30:5; Matt 4:4; 21:16; Rom 15:3-4; 2 Tim 3:15
• The family will grow in spiritual maturity as it serves God and people as a family unit Gen 7-9; Exod 27:21-30:30; Josh 24:15
• Young people will retain childish perspectives and reasoning unless their parents help them grow beyond such limited thinking. Prov. 17:21; 1 Cor 13:11
• Parents are encouraged to work in tandem with reliable spiritual partners – such as the church – but should be sure those partners are committed to the things of God. 1 Sam 1:27-28; 3:1-10; Rom 14:19; Eph 4:11-13
• The worldview of children should be shaped after the worldview of the parents. Luke 6:40
• The father is charged with passing on the spiritual blessing to the children. Gen. 27; 2 Sam. 6:20; 1 Chron. 16:43
• Before God will hand over great spiritual responsibility to an adult who has children, the parent must give proof of being a dedicated and effective parent. 1 Tim 3:4-5, 12

Wow ...... Anyone esle feel inadeuate to the task?

Barna lists several ways and ideas that will help parent raise spiritual champions. I found this section to be pretty superficial – but I think it was intended to be so. I think parents should study their children – look and find what the best is method to communicate biblical truths to their children. Each child is different. Each learns differently. There is no “one” right way for everyone. Amazingly enough – God tells us what He wants us to teach – and gives great freedom in how to teach it.

I do like what Barna states in one section about how a child responds to a parent who is acting in a hypocrital way. “When an inconsistency is identified, a child is prone to do two things: 1) ignore the instruction itself and 2) conclude that there is no specific command that they must obey.” pg 85

The list of “tools” Barna suggests are: Behavior Modeling; Formal Instruction; Reading; Creative Applications (journaling – diaries); Personal Experiences; Discipline; and a Combination of these methods.

There was a tremendous amount of information in this chapter – it covered the responsibility of the parents toward their children. It will be interesting to see how Barna develops the church’s responsibility in this task. That is the next chapter.