Why Sharing the Faith With Our Kids is Essential

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I hope the past few weeks have been full of time with family and friends.

Today, I shared over on social media my reaction to when I hear a parent saying they don’t want to “impose” their faith on the their kids, and instead will allow them to choose the faith when they’re older.

To be honest, I think most parents who share this opinion have the best intentions for their child. They feel it wrong to impose their faith on their kids, as if it were some sort of assault on their free will and liberty — but I’m sorry to say that is a misguided approach that has only been popularized by people who don’t understand what faith is and what it isn’t.

What I would like to ask those parents is whether they intend to take the same approach with reading, writing, arithmetic or even disciplines like swimming, ballet, basketball or a musical instrument.

Would those same parents think it cruel and unusual punishment to teach their child how to swim or read a book? Would they think it an assault on their child’s liberty to teach them how to write a letter or do a pirouette?

Because if they take seriously educating their children and teaching them the basics of sports and music, why do they think it irresponsible to prepare them to navigate this confusing world with faith?

Teaching our kids this faith is about giving them skills that will serve them for a lifetime — and way beyond this lifetime, in light of Eternity — but beyond that, sharing our faith is about introducing our kids to the MOST IMPORTANT PERSON in their life.

My experience skiing with my kids this week really brought this home in new and unexpected ways. I was not taught how to ski when I was young. It just wasn’t something I was ever exposed to, and because of this lack of formation skiing is a bit of a struggle for me.

John, on the other hand, is an excellent skier. He grew up hitting the slopes and even competed on occasion, and that formation has helped him to excel on the slopes.

For me, I began to ski about 10 years ago and once a year or so we go skiing. My kids have grown up skiing and it shows. My experience on the slopes is different than John and my kids. I’m usually just trying not to die.

At the very least, I am trying not to go home in a cast. For me, it is not second nature. It is a lot of hard work to avoid wiping out. I love it and I’m going to continue to work at becoming a better skiier, but this week’s ski experience brought home a connection I had never made before.

The lesson learned began when I was sitting on a ski lift watching these two young girls fly down the slopes at full speed, laughing, in control, but seriously having the time of their life. I even remarked to the guy next to me, “just look at those kids; they’re fearless!

When I reached the top of the slope my 16 year old informed me that the “fearless girl” I saw was my 9 year old, skiing down with her friend. I would have been a lot more concerned had I known, but it just made me marvel to see such confidence and skill in somebody so small.

Then I went to the top of that slope and stared down death…ha, ha!

For me, my fear of death or injury impedes my progress on the slope. I will possibly never be a great skier, and I am okay with the fun of doing something that doesn’t come easy, but for my kids, it’s an entirely different story. They can fly down those slopes and be in control and have the time of their life.

They can excel where I may always be mediocre.

Which brings me to the next time up the lift, as I sat with John and we looked over at a black diamond run, in which I saw a whole pack of kids, our kids and their friends, taking the black diamond full speed and trying for even more speed as they raced down the mountain at 100%.

This was the moment, I heard something in the depths of my soul, “That’s why you teach your kids the faith when they’re young”.

All of a sudden this ski experience took on a very different meaning.

Just like skiing, when you teach the kids the faith when they’re young, it becomes second nature to them. Honestly, it becomes a part of who they are and who they will always be.

Like skiing, when you teach the kids the faith when they’re young, they don’t have to struggle to “just get by” or struggle to not die — they can actually take life at full speed and conquer the mountains that they will face like champs.

That is what giving the faith to our kids does for their souls. It helps them to run the race of life, so as to win. 100% of themselves in it, fear not dictating their every move.

Teaching our kids the faith is way more than a life skill. Yes, it will teach them to live life to the fullest and that suffering united to Christ can be a channel of grace that extends way beyond their own suffering and to live without fear of the future — all important life skills and benefits of being a Christian.

But ultimately teaching our kids the faith is an introduction to the ONE WHO loved them into existence and WHO loves them now — no matter their past, no matter their bad choices, and is always waiting to forgive them, as many times as they ask for forgiveness.

Ultimately teaching our kids the faith is about introducing them to the ONE WHO loves them desperately and wants to equip the to do beautiful things in this world and in the next.

So parents, never be afraid to share the faith with your kids. It’s one of the reasons why God gave you to them, to raise them and head them in the right direction. One day, they will thank you for it, and God will thank you for it and you will see it as your greatest accomplishment in this life.

Beyond sharing the faith and getting as many people as possible to Heaven, what else really matters?

So keep the end in mind, pray for your kids, never give up hope when they have strayed and never, ever stop sharing about the Savior of the Universe and His plan for our lives.

It is a beautiful plan, indeed: Happiness forever with Him and those who love Him. Beautiful, indeed! He wants us to be victors over the world, and for those who acknowledge Him, they will be victors, indeed!

Happy Weekend!