My wife and I have been preparing for our Spiritual Habits of a Child's Heart workshop. One of the main points we want to impress on the participants is the need to give our children a vision for the glory of God.
We're learning that how we move through life is determined by what we value most. Is it money? Reputation? A need for security? Pleasure? What we desire most will direct how we live. If we gain a vision for the glory of God, how will our life be? When we marvel at the sovereignty of God, when we are in awe of his supreme power and his all-surpassing wisdom, how will we react to him? How will our life be changed by this knowledge?
We were created with a need to worship. We love our Hollywood idols, our love to imitate the lifestyles of the rich and famous. But worshiping man was not what we were created to worship. We were made to worship God. But we have traded the greatness of God to worship other men.
Romans 1:21-23 says, "For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things."
If we value God more than anything in the world, we will live our life differently. We will not cling to money, reputation, pleasure, work, friends and material goods. We would cling to God. We could have nothing; we could be scorned by the world but we would be filled to bursting with joy when we love God more than anything in the world. Joy in the Lord and in his glory, that is the happy life.
I want to give this to my children. All parents should want to give this to their children. Worship God with all your heart, mind and soul and you will be truly happy. When you do, your physical circumstances will not matter. Your standing in the world will not matter. Your sick and dying body will not matter.
Now isn't that a vision worth giving to our children?
