The Battle for Their Hearts

Wow...it has been few weeks since I was here.  Not because I haven't had a lot to think about, or because I haven't had anything to say.  Certainly not because God hasn't been teaching me anything.  To the contrary, He has been teaching me great things...I just haven't had the time to sit down and  put any of it in words.

Recently, I read another book by Ken Ham and Britt Beemer.

 In their book, they detail their research findings as to why young adults are leaving the church after high school and college.  In a nutshell, they conclude that somewhere along the path from middle school to high school, kids begin to doubt the authority of Scripture.  These doubts are reinforced in many systems of education, and often churches and parents do nothing to counter this.  If children and teens are not taught to understand and defend Scripture as historical and spiritual truth, they are much more likely to leave their faith and their church.

At the same time I was reading this book, I began a study of Romans.  It seems that God came to the same conclusion a couple of thousand years ago (note: sarcasm intended).  I definitely recommend Already Gone, but the findings are not new at all.

The second half of the first chapter of Romans contains some of the saddest verses in the Bible. 

  For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools,  and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,  because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.   Romans 1:21-23

They knew God.  These people were "in church".  They had heard the Word.  They knew what it said. But their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.  Why? Because they exchanged the truth of God for a lie!

Here is the pattern Paul outlines...the same pattern that exists today:

1. They knew God - they were "involved" in church to some extent.

2. They did not glorify Him or give thanks - there was no real life change, no relationship with Christ (church involvement was surface, probably social in nature)

3. Their thinking became futile - they began to focus on worldly philosophies and ideas

4. Their hearts became darkened - their affections turned from God to the world

5. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie... - They "bought into" the worldly philosophies...they believed the scientists, the philosophers, the media...

6. ...and served the created things rather than the Creator - They became enslaved to worldly things (enslaved to their houses, schools, clubs, neighbors, jobs...)

7. Therefore GOD GAVE THEM UP - God will not force us to stay where we do not want to be.  He will let us go.

The battle is won or lost between steps 1 and 2.  If our children do not move from knowing about God to knowing God they will follow steps 3-7.  Our job as parents (NOT the church's job) is to do everything we can to make sure our children understand what it means to move from step 1 to step 2.  We cannot make that move for them, but neither can we expect them to make it without any  help.  It is not the pastor's job.  It is not their small group leader's job.  It is not the children's minister or  youth minister's job.  It is OUR job.  And if our life doesn't reflect this, then our credibility is blown.  Many parents fail to help their children move from 1 to 2 because they themselves have never moved.  In the words of my pastor, we have to "examine our lives".  What kind of example are we setting?  Do we live lives that glorify God and give Him thanks?  What do our children see in us that would make them want to do the same?