Do You Know How Old Your Children Are?

The Bible class was shocked by the question the new member asked.  He wondered if the fathers knew how old their children were.  One of the men angrily answered, “Of course we know how old our children are!”  The new member replies, “I don’t mean to irritate you, but you all seem confused about how old your children are.”  Another man challenged, “Tell us how we seem confused.”  “I will,” the new member answered softly, “but you won’t like the answer.”

            “I’ll start with Jason, who is not expected to sit still for eight minutes during the invitation on Wednesday evening, because he’s too young….” “He is too young,” interrupted Jason’s father.  “Perhaps, but you expect him to sit still for six hours in school,” continued the new member. “Then there is Sally, who is old enough to sing with every song on the radio, but isn’t expected to sing with the congregation.  And what about Joey?  He won’t even say ‘Hello’ when an adult greets him at church.  He learned the rules of soccer, so why can’t he learn basic etiquette.  Is Janie too young for the Bible?  Instead of the Bible, she read paraphrased Bible stories, yet she is old enough to watch PG-13 movies?  Is Jimmy really too young to learn the books of the Bible? He was expected to learn and can quote all fifty states.  How can Ellen be old enough to write a research paper for school, but be too young to look up Bible references during a sermon? How can Tiffany…”  “All right, you can stop now,” said Tiffany’s father.

            There was silence for many minutes, then another father said, “I have been treating my 10 year old as if he were 15 on Saturday night and as if he were 5 at church.  It seems the rest of us haven’t done any better.  God told us to raise our children in the fear and admonition of the Lord.  Are we taking God seriously?”

            No one answered.  The silence that followed was the silence of repentant prayer.

(This article was written by Kent Davis and taken from the bulletin of the Myrtle Beach Church of Christ.  I did adapt it just a little bit.  Wow, how true it is.  Let’s raise the expectations we have of and from our children.  Sure, they will fuss, but, in the end, they will appreciate your high view of them.  By the way, doesn’t our heavenly Father have high expectations of us?)

Submitted by:  L. Reagan