My husband and I were talking about character training this morning–specifically, encouraging our children to grow in their faith and in their relationship with God so that they more consistently display Christlike character.
Marc remembered reading somewhere a statement that has stuck with him. I’m not sure this is a direct quote, but it goes something like this: “The average Christian has more knowledge than ability to perform.” How true this is! We study the Bible, read the differing “interpretations” of scholars and authors, sometimes research the church fathers and historical doctrinal positions…but all too often, this knowledge merely puffs us up. When the rubber meets the road, we still find ourselves unable to exhibit a character that reflects our stated belief in God and in the Gospel of Christ.
In our discussion this morning, we were focusing on this statement as it relates to our children. As parents, we strive to impart “knowledge” of God’s Word to our children. We read the Bible each morning and afternoon, encourage them to have their own quiet time with the Lord, and try to talk about the Word consistently, as it applies to everyday situations.
BUT, knowledge has its limits. As such, the more important element of character development (for our children) is discipleship. It is through the process of discipling our children in the faith and in Christlike character that they see how to put God’s Word into practice in a way that is REAL for them. Unfortunately, it is not an instantaneous process. It is just that–a PROCESS. We often want “quick fixes” and immediate results, but with character training there is most definitely seed time and harvest–with emphasis on “TIME.” It demands great patience from us as parents.
Lately (for a number of reasons) we have been seeing traits in our children that we wish would just go away. I have caught myself wondering if the process of Biblical discipleship has its limits. But, of course, that attitude simply reflects my own shortcomings. I just have to confirm again, to myself, that God’s Word is true and He is faithful. And as we wait for fruit on the different seeds we have sown, prayers of faith are important. In fact, I think they are essential. Unfortunately, the element of prayer, and the necessity of patience, is easy to overlook. After all, it is human nature to want to “DO” something!
What works for us–even on those days when it doesn’t SEEM like it–is us doing our part, and then (through prayer and patience) trusting God to do His. One tool that we have found particularly helpful is using a character training/values chart with our children on a consistent basis. It is available as a FREE DOWNLOAD when you sign up for the Values-Driven newsletter at www.valuesdrivenfamily.com. Of course, you can subscribe to receive the free downloads, and then are free to unsubscribe at any time–but we hope you will stick with us. 🙂 We try to send out bi-weekly emails of information and encouragement for families, with free downloads that we have found useful, reviews of products from Christian publishers, and announcements of our own product sales for those who have interest.
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