Why do I follow the Way of Jesus? It is a question that each of us who embrace Christianity need to ask ourselves. And then, for those of us raising children, why do we want to introduce our children to the Way of Jesus and raise them within this faith?
Up until a few decades ago, we weren’t faced with this question. We lived in a society that was mostly Christian. On a census form, people typically aligned themselves with one of the Christian denominations, even if they didn’t go to church very often. Now people feel free to choose not to be Christian – to be atheist (don’t believe in God) or agnostic (don’t want to affiliate with God). And we live in a wonderfully evolving society in which we are privileged to interact with people of many different faiths and have our lives enriched by the diversity.
Now, more than ever in our society, we need to make a clear decision that we follow the Way of Jesus. We need to understand how following the Way of Jesus shapes our lives, and influences our decisions. It is not something that we can take for granted. It is not something that just happens.
Then, as parents, we need to consider why we want our children to know faith in Jesus. What difference will it make to our children’s lives to know and live the Way of Jesus? As parents, we raise our children in a value system. It would be horrible if we didn’t. Our children would feel lost and alone and scared. We must share our values, our priorities, and our faith with them – in gentle but clear ways. Yes, they will make choices when they are older, but they need a foundation, a starting place. It is our job to provide that.
So, in the next few weeks, I am going to share thoughts about why I am committed to following the Way of Jesus. The reflections will centre around these words:
Choice
Faith
Values
Community
Food
The Way of Jesus
This week, I invite you to ask yourself the questions:
Why do I follow the Way of Jesus? (or Why am I a Christian?)
and
Why do I want my children to know about Jesus and follow his Way?
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