As I often tell my children, everybody born in the 19th century is dead. And where are they now? If Jesus’ words are true, many of them are now sadly languishing in hell. As parents we need to be asking ourselves: “Where will my children be in 10, 50 100 years’ time? Where will they be in eternity?”

In John Bunyan’s well-known book, The Pilgrim’s Progress, Bunyan describes a man with a muck-rake who looked only downward and dragged his rake among the weeds and worthless rubbish while all the time above him was Christ offering a glorious crown. The man would not let go of his muck-rake and take hold of the crown of righteousness. He forfeited his soul – he made a poor trade.

Many Christian parents today are doing the same thing with their children. They make poor trades. They know there is a heaven to win and a hell to escape from. They know that the way to hell is broad and easy and that many walk on it. They know that the road to heaven is narrow and straight and only a few enter the narrow gate. They know all this and yet many a Christian parent focuses on the here and now.

What do many parents really want for their children? They want their child to be “successful”. They want John or Mary to excel academically and get a good job, and a nice house and car. So, what do they do? They spend an exorbitant amount of time, money and energy on making sure that John and Mary go to a good school; get to a good university; play sport; and learn an instrument. Now, there is nothing wrong in giving your child a good education; in playing sport; and doing well on the piano. Martin Luther once wrote: “When schools flourish, all flourish”.

But Luther also wisely wrote and warned parents the following:

“Parents can perform no more damaging bit of work than to neglect their offspring, to let them curse, swear, learn indecent words and songs, and permit them to live as they please. …They are constantly concerned to provide sufficiently for the body rather than for the soul. …Therefore,it is highly necessary that every married person regard the soul of his child with greater care and concern than the flesh which has come from him, that he consider the child nothing less than a precious, eternal treasure, entrusted to his protection by God so that the devil, the world and the flesh do not steal and destroy it. For the child will be required from the parent on Judgment Day in a very strict reckoning.”

The problem we have inside the church today are parents who are seriously short-sighted.

Read More