Quote:
Originally Posted by Hope
When we consider how the children of Christian parents get into trouble in their teen age and adult years, it is important to never forget that there is an enemy. Do not forget Adam and Eve. They had the very best care from the very creator God. They had a walk and talk with Him everyday. They were not neglected and the creator did not make any mistakes. Yet look what happened! Why? Well there is an enemy.
In my life both as a Christian and in my profession, I have interacted with many wonderful Christian parents who were literally heart broken regarding their child. They did a lot of introspection as to where they went wrong and what their mistakes were. They were in great pain and most of it was totally unnecessary. Almost always there were children who had turned out wonderfully. Yet, the parents could only consider that they were awful failures due to the one child who was having problems.
I have heard parents blame themselves for placing the child in public schools or in a religious school or because they did not do home school or for belonging to the wrong church or because they were too strict or too lenient etc.
None of the blaming of the parents or of the environment in which the parents placed the child is of much profit. Remember there is an enemy.
What is worth while is to never forget that the Lord can save the most fallen, most backslidden, most disappointing child. I love the passage in Romans chapter 4:17, “God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.” NASB When someone is dead, there is no more hope. My younger brother was killed at age 16 in a hunting accident by his best friend. My parents had many plans for him, their youngest child. But after his death, there was no more hope, no more plans. But we believe in God who gives life to the dead. I have seen many seemingly hopeless "dead" children turn back to God and to their parents. I would encourage us all to focus on this rather than trying to assess blame.
There is profit in seeking the Lord to learn from our short comings and to course correct but be careful not to be drawn into the devils game of accuse, accuse accuse.
In the LCS there was a real lack of vision regarding the very crucial and critical role of the family in God's plan and purpose. Sadly, in the LCS, many parents made serious mistakes and did not receive needed healthy instruction regarding raising children for the Lord. Frankly, I absolutely love to speak of the family and how powerful the four generational wall of testimony is. (By the way the scriptures reveals the principle of four generations standing together for the Lord's testimony.)
In Christ Jesus there is hope for us all,
Hope, Don Rutledge
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Don,
I've been reading back through this thread from the beginning. I had read the post from you before and agreed with it except for the items about the "devil's game" and blame on parents and the environment they put their children. The devil also plays the game to keep us silent in the face of sinfulness. I also didn't agree with the idea that there isn't much profit in looking at the blame on the parents or the environment they placed their children. Sorry, but that one was off the charts wrong in my mind. It is absolutely one of the most important functions of a parent to keep a child from dangerous environments.
As I read it the first time something occurred to me. Reading it again, it occurs to me again. The OT Law set forward three main things:
1. Blessings for Obedience to the Law
2. Cursings for Disobedience to the Law
3. Mercy to those who repented
This is setup in multiple places (Leviticus and Deuteronomy).
- Part of the blessing for obedience was protection and success against your enemies.
- Part of the cursing for disobedience was the fact that your enemies would have success against you.
We are not under the Law, but in our disobedience to Christ we do open the door for the Enemy of God. The Enemy likes nothing more than to wreak havoc on families.
Yes, there is an enemy and he should not be forgotten. When fathers and mothers enter into things that violate basic tenets that the Lord sets forward the Enemy can take advantage. I think this definitely happened on a broader scale in the LC.
I don't believe we can point to the Enemy "outside" when we hold the door open to the Enemy to come "inside" through our disobedience to the Lord in regards to his instructions towards fathers and mothers.
This is why this is such a hot topic for me. It's not because of you, personally, but because the disobedience to follow the Lord's ways in regards to family were so seriously violated and the door was held open to the Enemy for him to waltz right in. He did and a lot of destruction followed.
I've seen a lot of destruction on the 2nd generation which hasn't ever been well represented on any of these forums.
Am I making any sense?
Matt
P.S. One of the best things my parents did was to repent to me (and later I found out my brother too) for the things they had done wrong in raising us (this included things that were LC specific and other violations of the Word). They pointed to their own responsibility and did not blame the system. This helped me as I believe it would help other kids if their parents could acknowledge the fact that they allowed their children to be in a spiritually and soully dangerous setting through their involvements with the LC. They didn't put God down in my mind. They made Him holy as a result of their willingness to repent for these things.