Relocating To Elfland

So how do you know if you’re succeeding as a Christian parent? My first decade of parenting has been a whirlwind, I can hardly believe my eldest will be in double digits next year, and now and then I get my head above water and wonder how I’m doing as a dad. Here are three things I look for that help keep me oriented:

1.      Do our children know the Word, works, and ways of our God? Do they understand the “what” of our faith and practice?

2.      Do our children love our life with our God? Has our way of life with Him and for Him been explained to them so it makes sense and is desirable to them? Do they understand the “why” of our faith and practice?

3.      Do our children advocate the things of God that they know and love? In verbal and non-verbal ways, do they testify of the goodness of the Lord?

I actually think there’s a progression here. In the early years, my wife and I have been occupied mostly with teaching our children the “what” of God and the gospel (not just in words – reading, explaining, praying, catechizing, etc. – but also in the rituals and “atmosphere” of our home and community life). The fruit of instruction, enactment, and sometimes discipline has been that our children have developed a great taste for worshipful living. In time, as they continue to mature, they’ll be able more articulately to testify of the goodness of their God. Even now, it’s amazing to listen to them witness to their friends.

Nothing profound here, just a few things that help me keep my eye on the ball.