We have found ourselves at a crossroads in the church today, friends. 

I hesitate to write this truth because it seems a bit uncomfortable. Perhaps it even would serve to be counterproductive for a girl who is trying to write words of encouragement to Christian families. However, it has been proven that the truth—even if the first taste is bitter—soothes the soul like sweet honey. 

I’ve found myself in the grips of the very question I will ask of you; I’ve wondered about my children, my own family, even my own life. 

Are my children different from the world they are immersed in? 

Are your children different from the world they are immersed in? 

Are the children of the church, the self-proclaimed Christian children, are they different from the world they are immersed in? 

Hear me, Christian parent, I believe the lines have gotten a bit blurry. 

There’s no room for blame here, no time for guilt. This isn’t an open door for shame or even a moment of regret. 

Those emotions serve no purpose, they only set our feet in concrete. While we carry the guilt and obsess with the shame the enemy pushes forward. 

This isn’t the time to question the Sunday school program, it’s time to evaluate our hearts. 

The problem began easily enough. We were sold the lie of self-esteem—and we bought it like it was water in a desert. 

So, we pushed them. We thought if they can manage to achieve eye-catching grades, their success will fulfill them. 

But success was a lie and turned out to be empty. 

We thought if they could be the best at their game, the highest scorer on the team, they’ll gain confidence and that will sustain them. 

But the game was a lie and it turned out to be empty.

We thought if they could join the best dance schools, acquire the lead part in the stage, surely this will keep them happy and secure. 

But the limelight was a lie and it turned out to be empty. 

We filled their schedules and their hours with all the good things. The opportunities were too great to pass up. The busy made us feel productive, like someone of importance. 

But busy was a lie and it turned out to be empty. 

We’ve gotten it all wrong. We turned it upside down. 

We knew the truth but it became fuzzy. 

We know our worth is found in our Maker. We know it’s by His hands that fulfillment is given. We forgot to teach them. 

We can turn this ship around, it isn’t too late. 

First comes the foundation, then everything else.

Their roots must be planted deeply in Christ, in the value they possess because of who He is—not because of who they are. 

The Bible says to seek first the kingdom of God and then the other things will be added. 

They can play the sports, they can win the games as long as their fulfillment is in Christ. 

They can get in to Ivy League Schools and climb successful ladders as long as their fulfillment is in Christ. 

If we build, brick by brick, an esteem of the created because of the Creator—rather than the created because of his achievements—then their worth will never be questioned. 

Their worth is not in who they are—it’s in who He is. 

It’s in who HE is. 

So here we stand, at this corner of history, where we must decide what’s of highest importance. 

Will we seek to fill their empty cups with empty stuff or will we remember the call of Savior from an old rugged tree, “Take up first your cross and then follow me”? 

Those words change everything. They beckon us back to the basics. Let’s start a revolution, a return to the Word. 

We have found ourselves at a crossroads, church, it’s time to take a turn.

This post originally appeared on Sprinkles In My Closet with Jenn Kish

 

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