BY TONY HOSS

Question: What can Christian parents do?
Answer: Today’s question is in reference to the present spiritual condition of the world in which our children live. There is no doubt that we have a major spiritual crisis in our nation. It has been estimated that 7 or 8 of every ten children raised in the church leave the church by the time they are in their second year of college. There are many reasons that our young leave the church. The reasons range from disputes among the brethren, influences from other religions, worldly influences and perhaps the greatest of these, laziness among the parents.
As parents we can never forget our responsibility to our children. Moses said, “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7 KJV). Paul concurs with Moses in Ephesians 6:4 when he taught that fathers should raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
We should remember that if we are not raising our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, if we are not teaching them about God and His precepts and concepts, we are subject to lose them to the influences of the world. There is no doubt that the trends are against good Christian parents, but all is not lost. If we follow God’s Word, we can change the current trends; if we do not the church will eventually die out in America.
One problem is that many parents act as if it is the church’s responsibility to give children all they need concerning God. While the church does have responsibility, the greater responsibility is the parents. We should know that our children are continually and fervently influenced by the world in many ways. Negative and ungodly influence is seen in the earliest days of our children’s education. When we send our children to public school, they are taught the fundamentals of education; they are also taught that evolution is a fact instead of theory. They are taught to never oppose worldly views. Many children fail because of the influence of teachers from kindergarten through college. They are taught concepts like there is no absolute truth. Without absolute truth anything can be acceptable. It takes properly and well taught children to stand against these wiles of the Devil.
We should remember the influence of teachers, friends and textbooks as well. Adolf Hitler once said, “Let me control the textbooks and I will control the state…” It is time that we awakened to the dangers that our children face every day. I have heard it said that the Church is only one generation from distinction in the U.S. The question is, will we idly stand by and allow our children to be destroyed by the word in which they live?
There are many negative influences in our children’s lives. Because of influence from education, friends, movies, literature, politicians and other sources our children are being led from the Church. If we want to overcome the worldly influences that are destroying our children, the family and the church, we ourselves must go to God and His Word and stand strong therein. Parents simply cannot rely on others to teach their children that which God commanded them to teach. The question for parents is, are you doing your part? Are your children seeing your dedication to God or your dedication to the world? Parents must be the example their children need them to be.
Hosea said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children” (Hosea 4:6 KJV). The time has come for parents to give their children the example, encouragement and the knowledge they need to remain faithful to God throughout their lives.
(Questions and Answers is provided by Tony Hoss, Minister of Centerview Church of Christ, Elizabethton)