It seems that children these days are disinterested with the spiritual and more interested in fictional. While many youths are raised in church, they seem to wait tell Sunday School is over so that they can get out their Game Boys. What causes this disconnect with the divine? Why are many young people not drawn to Light and would rather fight in virtual realms for empty trophies and titles? Has the church failed to be relevant or adapt to the needs of these younger generations? Why are they bored and yearn to be in worlds beyond theirs, but fail to connect with the real world beyond which is spiritual?
Brian Gilcrest said, "people don't want reality, they want the fantasy." (Aloha, 2015). This sentiment Gilcrest shares when he tells SGT. Ng about why his wife left him, a real soldier, for a man who sells comic books about fake soldiers and superheroes. The world wants to live in delusion and children are no different. When you tell a child, you can be involved in a world as real as the ones in video games, movies, and their imagination but it will require discipline, trusting Christ, and doing spiritual warfare which may mean patience and not getting your way all the time. the child loses interest. Kids want to play stories about valiant heroes who overcome overwhelming odds, but paradoxically most children do not want to live like these heroes or do the hard work the hero had to do. Kids praise Spider-Man for saving people and even having to deny his own desires to protect those he loves, but that same child who admires Spidey is screaming in a department store because he couldn't get a toy or bosses his parents around like personal slaves.
People want the thrill of an adventure without being on one; the benefits of virtue without the vigilance and vigor it takes to attain virtue. Children are epitome of this impatience. They demand happiness, power, and excitement with no work. St. Augustine said, "children are not innocent, they are sinners and as selfish as man grown, even more so." (paraphrase of Confessions). Children are not little cherubs who radiate kindness and have no selfish desires, on the contrary they are narcissists who need Christ as much as full grown adults.
Children are mirrors of their environment. If they see their parents praying, reading Scripture, and encouraging a close relationship with Christ, they then are motivated to be seekers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Another factor in the environment is the entertainment. There is plethora of video games, television shows, movies, and more that effect children into wanting "loving what is evil, rather than what is good.." (Psalm 52:3). Many parents are guilty of searing their child's conscious (1 Timothy 4:2) by not investigating the entertainment of their kids with the Gift of Discernment (1 Corinthians 12:10) and the proper judgment of God's will (Romans 12:2). In this day and age, there is craving for children to be the villain. They pick out Dr. Doom, Darth Vader, and the Dark Lord of any story rather than the hero. Parents overlook this and claim it is a 'phase,' but by condoning it and not establishing that being the bad guy is wrong and explaining that the evil character is not to be emulated, they are in effect helping that child be pre-conditioned & desensitized to evil.
Another reason children fail to be spiritual is spiritual forces. The devil and his demonic horde want children to be distracted and not involved with the Divine Creator and Savior. I was recently in a department store, and I watched a young little girl who spoke with a male's voice, growling, and screaming in demonic tones, while her hapless dad begged her like a Queen for mercy. This same little girl ran wildly through aisles and deliberately placed items to be damaged or obstruct people moving about the store. The little girl was demonized. Children can be demonized, and because some children are not able to fully make a conscious decision to know Jesus Christ until they are 7-12 years of age, the devil has ample time to flood their minds and hearts with all the demons in the video games, television shows, and movies he has at his disposal.
There are many kids who have no difficulty connecting with Christ. At a young age they are exposed to Emmanuel and His presence. God is normal and part of life. Part of what helps disposition a child to be disciple of Christ is when parents pray over and for their children every day and with them every night. Prayer is power and not enough parents are praying with their children, nor are they letting the children pray and learn to talk to God. Next, parents need to saturate young impressionable minds with Scripture regularly and have a Church environment, Christian community and Christian friends to help the children see that Christ's family exists on earth. In the end your child will have to decide, but it is your job to "train up a child in the way they should go and they will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6). Fathers have an even greater responsibility in training their children, The Apostle Paul says, "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." (Ephesians 6:4).
The biggest factor at the end of the day that effects children if watching you as a parent. If you are disinterested in God, then why would your child be interested? Children mimic and copy what they see their parents do; this is both voluntary when they love their parents, and involuntary due to environment as in they pick up the behavior wither they want to or not. You can complain your child is not interested in the Things of God all you want, but first you must ask, are you? Do you make talking to God via prayer, reading Scripture, and other spiritual things a priority or do you turn on the TV and watch Sports, watch Sensual & Scary movies, and seek after things contrary to the faith? Remember, little eyes are watching you and those eyes are connect to a brain that is sponge for at least the first eight to ten years.
Finally, there is the bad seed. You can be doing everything right, with Christ as your priority and your child still is a 'demon child.' Such children have existed before, it says God "I have loved you," says the LORD. But you say, "How have You loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? declares the LORD. Yet I have loved Jacob; but I have hated Esau, and I have made his mountains a desolation and appointed his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness." (Malachi 1:2-3, cross ref. Romans 9:13). At first glance this is strange, Jacob becomes a liar, while Esau is this great hunter. What gives? The heart, God knew their hearts. Bad seeds have heart problem, one deep in the spirit and soul. They can be redeemed, so do not cease to pray for them, after all St. Monica prayed for her son Augustine for many years while he lived in terrible sin and followed heresies, but her prayers were heard and Augustine became St. Augustine, one of most influential theologians of the Church ever. So keep praying, but remember the goal is to give your child no excuse to not know God. If you do your job in "training them up.." then at the Throne of Judgment, the child will be responsible for their evil, not you for being lazy and not leading them to the Lord.
Comments
Post a Comment